A Different Place and Time
by MaggieMayI
Summary: The bomb goes off but instead of a reset, the losties end up right where they were before. As they fight to stay alive and find their way off the island, will they avoid the war that is coming...or is the war the reason they are still there?
1. Chapter 1

**A Different Place and Time  
Chapter One  
**

Synopsis: What if the flash didn't take them anywhere and instead of being saved they found themselves being held prisoner by the very people who had once trusted them. With the purge looming on the horizon, how are they going to get off of the island alive? --A possible take on what could happen after the season five finale. Will include all of our survivors but will focus on Sawyer and Juliet.

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

It took him awhile to open his eyes; the pounding blood that was coursing through his veins was so painful he thought his head was going to explode—the stone beneath his temple and the odd angle of his body only accentuated this feeling. The brightness against his eyelids told him it was daytime, but the light also could simply be remnants of the flash. Kate and Jack had been struggling to drag him away from the shaft when the intense light had suddenly, utterly consumed them.

He could describe it as the flash of all flashes, and like the flash they had experienced when Locke turned the wheel, this one too had been different. The feel of it he could only describe as intense pressure, the light literally pushed them to the ground, or was it the magnetic force pulling them? Either way, they were rooted to the spot and when it felt like the ground would give no more, the pressure was suddenly released. After that, it was just blackness. He didn't know how long he had been out for, but after waking up like this, he wished he'd been out longer.

Sawyer shifted so that he was lying on his back in order to relieve some of the pressure that was pooling in his head. He tentatively opened his lids and as the wind brushed over his face he watched the trees rustle back and forth creating a kaleidoscope of colors as the sunlight reflected off of the leaves. He wondered how such a beautiful day could still exist after all that he had just gone through.

Focusing more clearly he noticed there was something between him and those trees; rusted metal bars encompassing him. Looking from side to side he quickly realized this place was very familiar. The bear cages again? Was this some kind of sick joke? Sawyer quickly became angry that their sacrifice had simply brought him back to this place, but as quickly as his anger had risen it had dissipated. The only thing he truly cared about anymore was gone. Her bright eyes and beautiful smile, the smell of her golden hair, all he had now were his memories and because of this he didn't care where he was, he was content to simply lay and dream.

He thought about those last moments as his chest tightened and tears threatened to fall from his half open eyes. He hadn't wanted to give up, hadn't wanted to give in. Even as he felt her fingers slipping from his grasp, he wouldn't relent—he wouldn't give up on her. But in his sheer stubbornness to keep her, he refused to tell her the only thing she wanted to hear. In her dying breath she proclaimed her love for him, but he didn't want to let her go, he didn't know how to do it without her. Now, he just hoped that she knew how much he truly did love her. If there was one thing he'd ever regret from his (for the most part) sad, miserable life, it would be not telling her how much she meant to him—how much she had done for him—how she had saved him.

His thoughts left her for only a moment, as he briefly wondered what time period he was in, thought about the others and whether or not they had survived the flash as well, and wondered how long he'd be held prisoner before his fate would be decided. As he slowly began to succumb back into his half-dream state, he almost didn't hear the sudden string of expletives. Focusing on the noise Sawyer half sat up and directed his attention toward the cage across from him. Inside he spotted Kate and Jack—so he wasn't alone after all. Kate was lying on the ground, much like he had been, and was not moving. He could see the rise and fall of her chest which confirmed she was still alive, but she must not have come around yet. Jack on the other hand was trying to push himself up into a standing position to make his way over to her, but wasn't having much luck.

"Jack!" Sawyer called out as he sat up the rest of the way. A bit of nausea overtook him and he decided to take things a little bit slower.

"Sawyer, are you okay?" Jack called back while making his way over to Kate's side.

"Yeah I think so, my head is poundin' but other 'n that I'm okay, you?"

"Same here. What about Juliet, is she alive?"

"What, are you tryin' to be funny Doc?" Sawyer demanded as he brought himself to a standing position. How could he bring her up as easily as that? If he could get out of his cage he would have finished what they had started earlier and the Doc wouldn't be saved by anyone this time. But Jack just pointed.

"Sawyer, look…" He followed the direction in which Jack was pointing, and behind the fish biscuit dispenser he saw just a splash of red. Could it be? Sawyer moved as fast as his limbs would carry him and as he rounded the oversized machinery, he couldn't believe his eyes. How had he not noticed sooner? She was as still as death but upon a closer look, he could see that her chest was moving, she was breathing but barely.

Sawyer bent down and gently cupped her cheek like he was touching an expensive china doll. She was covered in blood and had gruesome bruises forming on both of her arms. Her fingers were scraped and raw where she had tried to grasp the rocks as she was pulled by the chains down the shaft and she had a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth. He ever so carefully lifted her shirt and his nausea almost overtook him—the porcelain skin of her torso was stained completely black and blue, Sawyer could actually make out impressions of the chain links that had bore into her skin. He swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat and prayed to whatever god there was that she would be okay.

"Juliet" he whispered, afraid that she wouldn't respond, afraid to lose her all over again. He slowly rubbed her cheek, careful not to touch any of her bruises and called out her name over and over again—each time with a little more urgency. After almost a full minute of trying to rouse her, Sawyer was about to give up when he felt just the slightest movement. She turned her head in his direction and opened her mouth as if to say something, but gurgling was all she could muster.

"It's okay Juliet," he reassured her frantically. "Don't try and talk, save your energy." She slowly opened her eyes, and Sawyer couldn't help but let a few tears escape, he truly thought he'd never see those shining blue eyes ever again. He bent over and carefully kissed her forehead, whispered "I love you more than you will ever know" in her ear and gave her the most genuine smile he could muster. She tried to move but he knew that wasn't a good idea.

He held her down while stroking her head, murmuring that she should stay still and that everything would be okay, but he was slowly starting to panic, he could see that she was severely injured and if she didn't get help soon, she was going to die. "Lie still sweetheart, I'll be right back." He wanted to tell Jack what was going on without making her worry any more than she already was.

Sawyer walked quickly to the front of the cage and saw that Jack had roused Kate and the two were standing waiting for him to speak. "Doc it don't look too good. She needs help and she needs it now"

Just as Jack was about to say something, the Hydra Station doors opened. They all turned towards the noise and saw Horace accompanied by two Med Techs who were carrying a stretcher.

"H, what the hell is all this about?" Sawyer yelled as he quickly made his way back to Juliet's side. The med techs approached the cage, opened the door and advanced on Sawyer and Juliet.

"Don't you touch her," he warned as he stood between them and Juliet. He was outnumbered but he didn't care, he would do whatever it took to get her to safety.

"Listen Jim," Horace began as both him and the med tech's raised their hands in the air. "We're going to do everything we can to help Juliet, but you have to remain calm and do what we ask; you want to save her right?"

Sawyer was torn, he didn't want her to suffer, but he no longer trusted the Dharma Initiative—they had him locked in a cage for christ sake. "What are you gonna do to her," he spat out as he quickly glanced back to make sure she was still breathing.

"She's badly injured Jim. She's bleeding internally and we have to perform surgery in order to stop it. The sooner we get her in there, the better her chances are."

"Then you'll bring her back to me?" Sawyer asked, trying not to sound desperate.

"We'll talk everything through soon Jim, but you have to let us take her."

"Let them take her Sawyer," Jack shouted. "She needs surgery right now."

Sawyer relented, but first bent down to kiss her goodbye. He carefully touched his lips to hers and whispered his love for her in her ear. Her eyes fluttered as she whispered "James…" on a breath of air. The med tech's gently placed her on the stretcher and as they carried her out of the cage, she mustered all of her strength and held out her bruised and bloody hand.

Sawyer gently took hold and looked her right in the eye, "I ain't lettin' go of you ever again Blondie, you better get used to that."

Juliet smiled and closed her eyes, so she didn't see Sawyer choke on a silent sob. They carried her into the Hydra and the trio watched the door slam behind them.

Sawyer collapsed in the very place where Juliet had lain, he could feel the warmth from her body in the soft bed of grass. He would have lain in that very place forever but he knew they only had so much time. He'd let them fix her, but then he was done asking for favors. He would do whatever it took to get them off the island, he promised her a good life and that was what he was going to give her.

As thoughts of Juliet bleeding and broken consumed his mind, Sawyer knew they had to take action.

He glanced over and saw that Jack and Kate were waiting for his cue. "So Doc, what's the plan?"

TBC

* * *

Authors Note: Like many of you, it's taken me awhile to come to terms with the events that took place in the finale. For four solid seasons I loved every aspect of the show, but season five gave me something different and better to love. And now we may never get it back! Like so many others, I want the spirit of James and Juliet to stay alive…and I hope that the writers realize what an impact this relationship has had on the show as a whole, and that they shouldn't throw it all away. Anyway…I've truly enjoyed reading everyone's work and have found inspiration within a lot of the work I've read over the past few weeks. I'm attempting my own version of what happens after the finale…I have to admit this first chapter was a struggle to write and I don't quite know where it's going yet or if it's even any good. Feedback is always loved, suggestions even more so…I just want to do these characters and the show justice (and to get the sinking feeling out of the pit of my stomach for crying out loud!). Long live James and Juliet!

PS: Sorry the first chapter is mostly narrative…I know I get caught up in inner monologues, but I promise that this story will have way more dialogue than some of my other pieces…just need to get the story set up before we get into the thick of things!


	2. Chapter 2

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 2**

Thank you everyone for your great reviews, I eat them up like candy! I've spent a little time thinking about the direction that I want the story to go in, and now that I have a better idea of what I want to write, I think the story will have a lot more flow. This chapter will mainly consist of Juliet, Sawyer, Kate and Jack again, but I definitely have plans of eventually incorporating the rest of the Losties in, including those still in 2007! So ride this thing out with me and let's see where it goes!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

"What's the plan?" Jack asked as he glanced towards Kate and then back at Sawyer. "Sawyer, we're kind of locked in cages here." Jack stated as he waved his arms around emphasizing his point. "We don't even know how we got here or how much time has passed; where are we going to go?"

Sawyer shook his head, "Listen here Doc, tweedle dee 'n tweedle dum over there didn't really look like they knew how to handle a scalpel, catch my drift? I know for a fact the Dharmaville surgeon was on that sub. We gotta do something and fast or Juliet ain't gonna make it. I'm not going anywhere, we need to save her…you need to save her."

For the first time Jack was truly convinced Sawyer was a changed man. He could see the desperation on Sawyer's face, and could hear it in his voice, Jack knew he didn't care about himself anymore; he just wanted to save the woman he loved.

"Everyone in the Dharma Initiative now thinks we're traitors, how exactly am I supposed to convince them to let me help?" Jack asked.

"Listen Doc its simple," Sawyer looked over towards Kate who had been watching their exchange silently. "Freckles you know what to do."

Jack watched in amazement as Kate nodded towards Sawyer and then proceeded to climb up towards the top of the cage and slip through the bars.

"Doc, follow Kate's lead, make like yer runnin' off but double back here n' hide. When they go after you, you'll be able to sneak inside. Once in there, get yourself caught. Horace is in charge so you'll be brought to him. Tell him that you can help. If he isn't convinced, ask him to come talk to me. He's reasonable, he'll listen."

"Why aren't you coming with us?" Jack questioned.

"Because I want 'em to see that we ain't runnin', that we ain't tryin' to escape."

Jack wasn't sure it would work, but he knew Juliet was in rough shape and it was up to him to try and save her. He briefly thought back to their bathroom encounter a few days ago. She had been so upset that they had returned. At first he didn't think much of it because he couldn't get over the fact that they were less than thrilled that he had come back, but now he realized just how bad them coming back screwed up her life. He had to make it right.

Jack followed Kate up and through the bars and the two made their way into the forest.

Sawyer took a deep breath and prayed to whatever god that would listen, for him or her to let Juliet be okay. He hadn't realized just how much he needed her in his life until she was taken away. He let her go once; he wasn't going to do it again.

* * *

Kate and Jack ran a couple hundred yards into the jungle and then started to make their way back. If they aimed correctly, they should end up right behind Sawyer's cage.

"You know this plan is crazy right?" Jack asked Kate as much as he was asking himself.

"We have to do it Jack." Kate said, speaking up for the first time since she became conscious. "If it weren't for Juliet, the three of us would still be on that sub, and you…"she looked in the eye as she took a deep breath, "well we don't even know what could have happened. Her decision to come back and help is what brought us to this point, and we owe it to her to try and save her."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "Listen to me Kate, let's not do anything crazy. For the most part they seem like reasonable people, let's just keep things calm and see if we can make it work."

"I'll follow your lead Jack."

They stopped just beyond the tree line because they heard a sudden commotion. Obviously someone was not happy that two prisoners had escaped so easily. They crouched down and waited for their opening.

"_Where did they go?"_

"_Beats me Hoss."_

"_Tell me where they are or we'll let Juliet die!"_

"_Listen Chuck Norris, before you take out your can of whoop ass why don't you…"_

"_I swear Jim we aren't messing around. You know how close she is to being gone. Do you really want that on your conscience?"_

Silence…

Jack and Kate glance at each other wondering if they'd really take the bait.

_Sawyer sighed loudly. "Alright fine, they went that way. Left about 10 minutes ago."_

"_You did the right thing Jim."_

They listened as the footsteps faded away. After a minute of pure silence, Jack and Kate made their way back to Sawyer.

"Go fast," Sawyer prompted. "If anyone's in front of the monitors they'll have seen you already."

With one more glance back at him the pair ran to the door of the Hydra Station and disappeared inside.

Sawyer took a seat on the ground. The only thing left to do was wait.

* * *

As Jack and Kate made their way down the corridor, the dark, dank, mustiness quickly took over their senses. Jack was briefly reminded of the time when he had tried to escape from captivity here, and he and Juliet had ended up almost drowning. It amazed him that the last time he was in these halls it was 30 years in the future, yet everything looked exactly the same. Jack headed towards the operating room because he figured that's where Juliet was being prepped but before they could make it too the door, a noise and burst of light from behind them had them turning and bracing for the worst.

The nurse obviously did not think she'd be running into anyone and her quick scream showed Jack that she wasn't used to dealing with hostiles. He was about to take charge when Kate stepped in front of him.

"Hey its okay, we aren't here to hurt you."

The nurse back peddled and ended up slamming into the door that had just closed behind her.

"Listen we just want to help. Jack is a surgeon and he wants to help Juliet"

"I don't know who you people are but you aren't getting anywhere near her."

Kate raised her hands in mock surrender. "Listen we aren't going to do anything to hurt you or anyone else. We just want to speak to Horace. Can you go get him?"

The nurse stared the pair down. She wanted to get Horace but she didn't want to leave them alone. Her patient was in critical condition and she didn't want them making things worse. She decided to do as they asked because the sooner she got back to Juliet, the better. "Don't move. We have cameras in every corridor so if you try to run we will find you. I'll get Horace. Stay here."

Kate nodded to the nurse and turned towards Jack. "Show time."

* * *

Back outside Sawyer started pacing in his cage. It had seemed like hours since they had gone inside but he knew it had probably only been minutes. Staring up at the sky he watched storm clouds slowly roll in. Out of nowhere his stomach started growling, signaling just how hungry he was. With everything that had happened, there hadn't quite been time for eating. _"I'd give anything for one of Juliet's home cooked meals right about now." _He thought as he continued walking back and forth. For a quick second Sawyer contemplated getting a fish biscuit, but then realized the Dharma folk might be a little suspicious as to how he knew how to work the contraption; his security detail didn't quite extend into polar bear care. Not soon after he resigned himself to go hungry the first drops of rain had him cursing the cage that surrounded him. As it began to pour, he found as much cover as he could and prayed the Doc could work some magic. _"Son of a bitch!"_

* * *

It seemed like it was taking forever for Horace to show up. Jack hoped they weren't being jerked around. Down the hall they could see bodies moving in and out of the operating room. Several monitors were beeping inside, one he recognized as a heart monitor. Her pulse was weak…thready. There wasn't much time.

"So you escape from your confines only to come into the lair of the enemy?"

Jack shook out of his revere and turned towards Horace. "Listen Horace, I know things are very confusing right now so I'm going to be blunt. Juliet is dying in there, and I have the medical skills that can help her. Let me operate, and once it's done, you can do whatever you want with us."

"Now what makes you think I'd just let you run in there and operate. You came to this island as a janitor, now you're telling me you're a surgeon? And I'm just supposed to believe you?"

Kate interjected. "Horace, he is what he says he is. James can explain everything to you, just let him help her."

Horace looked back and forth between the two. He saw on the cameras that Jim was still in his cage, and obviously these two weren't trying to go anywhere. Juliet was hanging on by a thread and the physician on staff was sweating bullets because he didn't think he could save her. "What kind of doctor are you exactly?"

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm a spinal surgeon, but I have extensive experience in all types of surgical procedures. Juliet will be in good hands I promise."

"Alright go," Horace said pointing to Jack. "You," he said as he turned towards Kate, "are coming with me. We're going to go have a little chat with Jim about all of this."

Jack gave Kate one more glance before he made his way into the operating room. She smiled and nodded her head at him, reassuring him that everything would be okay. As she walked away she called over her shoulder, "Jack…just count to five."

* * *

Ten minutes later Juliet was being prepped for surgery. She had been slipping in and out of consciousness since being taken from James. _"James,"_ she thought to herself as a muffled sob escaped her lips. He'd held onto her with all his might and would have held longer but the pain was too much. Not only the pain of the chains wrapped around her torso, but also the pain of knowing if she continued to hold on, she'd only take him down with her. She let go of his hand knowing that she'd never see him again. She lost him only after finally seeing how true his love for her really was. Lying at the bottom of that shaft, she thought about a million things at once, but what she focused on as she hit the bomb over and over was that last look on his face. He wouldn't give up on her, even in the very end.

Now that she found herself alive, she promised that she would never again give up on him. If she made it through this, she'd spend the rest of her life, proving time and again that she wanted nothing more than to be with him. A silent cry of relief left her lips as she saw Jack walk through the operating room door. He'd save her…he'd save them.

Jack was ready to start the surgery, all he had left to do was put Juliet under. The nurse had filled him in, she had internal bleeding and her kidneys were failing. On top of that she had a broken leg, her left shoulder was separated and she had a slew of broken ribs. The bleeding and bruising on the outside of her body was overwhelming, but it looked worse than it really was. Jack needed to find the source of the internal bleeding quickly or it would all be for nothing.

He bent over Juliet and whispered that they were going to give her the sedatives now.

"Wait…" she barely whispered as he went to add the IV drip,

"What is it Juliet?" he asked.

"The…" she tapered off and he couldn't understand what she was saying.

"I can't hear you Juliet, the what?" He put his ear right next to her lips so that he could decipher what she was saying."

"Please," she whispered as her eyes fluttered shut, "save my baby."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 3**

Thank you again for your great reviews! For those I didn't yet respond to personally…thanks so much for reading, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and your reviews give me something to look forward to! Now without further adieu…chapter 3 is here!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

2007

Jacob clutched his chest and stumbled forward surprised, yet not, that Ben had actually stabbed him. He thought he knew Ben's cold calculating mind and figured that he would try to extract more information out of him as opposed to plunging forward; in hindsight Jacob figured his poor, broken soul had probably had enough.

Jacob knew he didn't have much time left, but he felt he at least owed it to warn them. "They're…they're coming'" he whispered, barely able to form the words.

Not Locke didn't waste any time, he knew the implication of those words. Using the ball of his foot he forcefully shoved Jacob's bleeding body into the fire in front of them. Jacob's body was quickly engulfed in flames and before they could hear even a glimmer of his agony, everything flashed to white…

"Dude, where'd you come from?"

Jin jumped, clearly startled at hearing someone else's voice. "Hurley?"

"Hey Dude!" Hurley exclaimed as he ran forward to pick up Jin in a huge bear hug. "I'm so glad to see you, I've been like, walking for hours and haven't found anybody."

"Miles, Sawyer, Juliet?" Jin questioned.

"Naw Dude, I was up on the ridge and there was stuff flying everywhere so I took cover. Then there was this bright white flash that seemed to last forever. And when it was gone…so was everyone else. I looked over the edge and everyone was just…gone." Hurley stared at Jin who was starting to look confused. "How'd you end up way out here dude?"

"I don't know," Jin responded. "I was knocked over by a barrel and before I could get up, there was the flash. When the flash was over, I was in the jungle. I have been walking since then."

"Dude…"

"What?" Jin asked.

"I still can't get over how good your English is."

"Hurley…"

"Okay, okay…so what should we do?"

"Head toward the beach?" Jin suggested. "We can't go back to the barracks, they wouldn't be too happy to see us."

"Whatever you say dude, let's go."

Jin and Hurley headed in companionable silence towards the beach, or what Hurley assumed was towards the beach.

A little while in to their hike Hurley's curiosity got the better of him. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Yes Hurley."

"How dude?"

"I spent almost every day of the past three years searching for you. We set up grids that covered the entire island. After awhile you get to know where you're going."

"Wow," Hurley exclaimed. "So you guys like, never gave up on us then did you?"

"No Hurley. Sawyer knew you'd come back, Locke said you would. So we looked."

Hurley thought about that for awhile, surprised to hear that it was Sawyer who never gave up. When they'd returned he didn't seem overly thrilled about it, so it was interesting to hear that he was the one who kept looking.

A little while later, Hurley started to hear the waves in the distance and knew they were getting close to the tree line. He hoped they'd come across the others soon, he didn't think he'd been brought all the way back to the island just so that him and Jin would be left to fend for themselves.

They could see the beach ahead and just as they were about to break from the tree line a noise to their left startled them. "Pssst, hey!"

Hurley and Jin turned to find Miles crouched in the bushes.

"Miles! Hey dude!" Hurley exclaimed!

"Shh! What are you crazy? They'll hear you." Miles whispered forcefully. "Get down!"

Jin and Hurley quickly ducked down and joined Miles in the bushes.

"What's going on?" Jin whispered.

Miles turned and pointed through the trees.

Hurley then realized that there was a huge statue of a foot not far down the beach and a crowd of people standing nearby. Scanning the crowd he started to recognize some of them. The man sitting next to him in first class on the Ajiria plane, the woman who had been sitting next to Sayid. Frank Lapidus and…was it really…

"Sun," Hurley heard Jin whisper on a whoosh of breath, finishing his thought for him. "SUN!" Jin shouted as he sprang up and made a dash for the beach.

Miles tried to grab him but Jin slipped away. Hurley moved to follow suit but Miles dragged him back. "Are you nuts?! They have guns. We can't just come running out of the jungle and expect them to welcome us with open arms. What are you thinking?"

"Dude I can't let him go out there by himself, plus I know some of those people."

"You know some of those people?" Miles asked, not quite believing him.

"Yeah dude, they were on our plane."

"You're plane? Which plane?"

"The one that brought us back to the Island, the one we were on like, what is it, four days ago?"

"The plane you were on in 2007?"

"Yeah that plane…" Hurley paused, the realization sinking in, "dude…"

"We're not in Kansas anymore Toto."

1977, 2007, no matter what year it was Hurley wasn't going to let his friend go out there alone.

"Well, either way dude, I can't let him go by himself." With that, he stood up and followed in Jin's wake. He walked out onto the beach and made his way towards the group, turning around only once to see if Miles was following. He wasn't.

* * *

Ilana, Bram, Richard and the others were standing around the box containing Locke's body; discussing what might be done should Locke and Ben emerge from the statue when they noticed someone yelling.

"Sun, Sun!"

As the shouts grew louder, they all turned to see what the commotion was about.

Sun had been sitting on a log under the shade of a few trees, lost in her own world, when she was shaken out of her revere by the sound of her name.

"Sun!"

She looked up and over, seeing a blur of a man running down the beach towards her frantically yelling her name. He was wearing a tan jump suit, his skin was dark, his hair curly and long, but she'd know that face and that voice anywhere. She blinked quickly to make sure she wasn't imagining things. After three long years, after her mind and her heart had played so many tricks on her, it was hard to believe that this could actually be happening. She sluggishly got to her feet, her body working as slowly as her mind.

"Sun!" He yelled again and all of the sudden she knew without a doubt it was real. Instantly she took off, running faster than she ever had in her life. Closing the distance between them she launched herself into his arms.

"Jin" she whispered on a breath as her arms wrapped around him. He smelled of sweat and sun and all that was Jin. His hair was soft as she ran her hands through it. Bringing her head back she stared into his eyes and smiled bigger than she had in a long time. Their lips met and held, as they poured three years of lost love into that one single kiss. She hugged him again, not wanting to let go, not wanting to chance that this might not be real. She buried her face in his neck, and then rested her chin on his shoulder, reveling in the simple feeling of his arms around her. She opened her eyes then, noticing that Jin was not alone.

"Hurley?" she questioned. Jin then pulled back, but kept his hand in hers, turning towards Hurley as he caught up to the pair.

"Hey Sun," Hurley said as he wrapped her in a big hug, not unlike the one he'd given Jin mere hours before.

"Hurley, but how did you…"

Sun wasn't able to finish her question due to the sound of guns being cocked behind them. The three slowly turned, coming face to face with loaded shot guns aimed directly at them…

TBC

* * *

Okay so maybe the flash did involve a little bit of time travel…haha! Sorry this chapter was on the shorter side…wanted to get this part in but save the H/Jim convo and the fate of Juliet for the next chapter. More to come soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 4**

Authors Note: Okay so I may have slipped a little time travel into the story after all! I definitely wanted to give Jin and Sun their reunion because they completely deserve it! Now back to some Sawyer & Juliet plot action! This chapter, you'll find, is longer than the rest, and this is because I am headed out of town for a week starting Wednesday, and won't be updating until after I get back. Thanks for the great reviews and, as always, thanks for reading!

PS: from now on I'll be using 1977 and 2007 just to distinguish where we're at!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

Shivering, Sawyer tried to pull his legs tighter against his chest, but his clothes were soaked through and his hands kept slipping. Resting his forehead on his knees, he thought back briefly to the last time he'd been caught in a torrential downpour such as this; it was about five or six months after they had first joined the Dharma Initiative. He had just finished his shift at the security station and was headed home. He walked into the house expecting to find Juliet there, but the house was empty. He walked back out on to the porch and scanned the area, hoping to catch sight of her.

"She went down to the docks, man." Sawyer looked to his right and saw Miles sitting out on his porch next door.

"'Bout how long ago?" Sawyer asked, hoping he could still catch her. He had some good news and he couldn't think of anyone he wanted to share it with more.

"Oh, twenty minutes give or take." Miles responded.

Sawyer nodded and stepped down off the porch, walking towards the docks.

"So, did ya get it man?" Miles called out.

"First things first Hoss," Sawyer threw over his shoulder as he raised his hand in the air gesturing thanks. Miles watched as he quickly headed towards the water.

She was in her usual spot at the end of the dock with her pants rolled up and her legs dangling in the water. As Sawyer took in the scene he noticed the menacing clouds rolling in, but figured they could squeeze a little more out of the sunset before the rain settled on them. He knew she heard his footsteps, but seeing as they came here quite often for sunsets, when she didn't turn around he just figured she knew it was him. He stopped a few feet from her to take off his shoes, but was stopped momentarily by the sight before him. The setting sun had caught the angle of her face just so, so that her skin looked a pale pink in contrast to the piercing blue of her eyes as they reflected off of the water. Her golden hair shone in that late light, curled around her face in perfect disarray--Sawyer couldn't remember seeing anything more beautiful.

"Take a picture it'll last longer," Juliet said nonchalantly as she placed her hands on either side of her and turned her head towards him to rest her chin on her shoulder. She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and gave him that Juliet smirk and he was quickly shaken from his revere.

"Uh..." he fumbled as he removed his second shoe with a helpless look on his face. He had no idea what to say and found himself more than slightly embarrassed that he'd been caught staring; it was far from the first time too. Sawyer didn't know why, but lately he just hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her. Every day he learned a little bit more about who she was, and the more he got to know her, the more he couldn't keep himself from wanting to learn more. The feelings she evoked from him were foreign, and he was having trouble figuring out what to do about them. With Kate it had been fast and needy and gut wrenching—similar to the majority of relationships he'd had in his life; if you could call conning women relationships. But with Juliet, it was different. Their progression had been slow and steady. The more she let herself unfold, the more he couldn't help himself from coming back for more. Lately, more often than not, he had butterflies in his stomach just thinking about her; it was quite unsettling and he didn't know exactly what to do. It was becoming a serious problem.

She laughed as she turned back towards the water and kicked her feet playfully through the cool blue surf. "Pull up a seat James." She said as she looked up at him once more with her bright eyes and a full smile. He smiled back as he sat down, thankful for the out, and rolled up his pants and dropped his feet in.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, reveling in the feel of just sitting together after a long, hard day, but after long Sawyer couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"Have a good day?" He asked, hoping to spark some conversation.

"Not bad," she responded as she scanned his profile. She knew him well enough to know he had something on his mind, but she decided to play along and let him do it his way. "Radzinsky got a flat in grid four today so I had to come back from lunch early to take out a replacement."

Sawyer shook his head knowing the son-of-a-bitch probably gave her a hard time about it too.

She smiled remembering the moment, "So I pull up and he's just standing in front of the van, sweating, pacing, so I decided to take my time with it…it's so fun to piss him off isn't it?" She asked, laughing.

Sawyer smiled, "It sure is," he responded.

"So anyway, with the round trip and the tire change, by the time I got back from that, there wasn't much else I could do so they told me to knock off early, so I thought I'd come down and catch the sunset." She paused for a few moments watching as the last bit of the dying globe of light dipped below the horizon, then… "How was your day?"

Sawyer couldn't help but smile. "Oh not bad," he started, mimicking her earlier words. "Got a promotion."

His voice made it sound like he couldn't care less, but Juliet didn't miss the small smile or the light that came into his eyes. She could tell he was really excited about it.

"Congratulation James," she said as she leaned to knock her shoulder against his. He turned towards her with a wide grin. "So what's the promotion?" she asked intrigued.

"Head of Security."

"That's great!" she exclaimed, finding that she was genuinely proud of him. She continually found herself impressed with how well he'd taken to everything. They had found a comfortable routine in the Dharma Initiative, and it seemed to suit both of them very well. "With a promotion such as that, I think a celebration is in order."

He laughed, "Now how exactly how're we supposed to celebrate when we're stuck in 1974 Dharmaville?" He asked, knowing that there wasn't much to do around there. He turned and again and upon seeing her wide smile found himself staring at her profile.

"Well," she turned, ready to make some sarcastic remark about Miles jumping out of a cake, but faltered when she found him again staring at her intently. She had caught him doing it more and more lately, and each time it gave her a tiny jolt that registered low in her belly. His eyes were so intense; it was almost as if he was staring inside of her. His gazes were never uncomfortable, but rather unsettling. Something was happening with them, and not knowing how she really felt about it, Juliet was nervous to find out exactly what.

"Juliet…" Sawyer whispered, not exactly sure how the mood of their conversation had changed so drastically. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her eyes, and found himself being slowly drawn towards her.

For one quick second Juliet dropped her gaze from his eyes to his lips while involuntarily licking her own. She looked back up and saw he had gotten even closer, she could feel his warm breath on the expanse of her cheek.

She found that her eyes were fluttering shut and she was moving towards him. Their lips were a breath apart and Sawyer moved to close in when, "BOOM!"

The thunder startled them and they quickly snapped apart. Not two seconds later it seemed as if the heavens themselves opened up; the rain was so hard and so heavy, they were soaked instantly. Juliet rose and made a dash for her shoes, but strong hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

"Oh no you don't!" Sawyer yelled over the rain. "You said we were gonna celebrate, so we're gonna celebrate!"

Juliet had no idea what he meant by that but it didn't take her long to figure it out. He swiftly picked her up and launched her off the dock and into the water.

"James!" She screamed as she flailed her arms trying to maintain some semblance of balance. He couldn't help but laugh at the utter surprise on her face. She quickly hit the water and he wasted no time in diving in after her, knowing that he'd have the upper hand if he surprised her. She surfaced sputtering and quickly scanned the docks, surprised to find he wasn't standing there gloating. She treaded water as she spun in a circle, trying to figure out where he went. All of the sudden she felt a tight hold around her ankle and had only a second to take a deep breath before she was pulled under. When she surfaced again she could see him swimming towards shore, about 15 feet in front of her. She dove under the water and used her long legs to catch up. It didn't take long.

She surfaced behind him, pushed with all her might off of the ocean floor, placed both hands on his head and dunked him. He came up spitting water, whirled around and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him. They were both laughing hard, thinking of how ridiculous they must look, but the warmness of her body rapidly seeped into his, causing his laughter to quickly die down.

She felt the mood change instantly as he expelled a breathy whisper of her name once again. Finished thinking, she quickly pulled his head towards hers, uncertainty be dammed. The kiss was hard and hot. Lips and tongues dueled as their warm breath mixed with the cold, cold rain. He pulled her even more tightly against him as he changed the angle of the kiss, deepening it. Thunder, lightning and rain forgotten, they stood waist deep in the surf, suspended in time, in a world of their own creation. She ran her fingers through his dripping hair, pulling him even closer. She couldn't get enough of him, the taste, the feel; it was unlike anything she had ever known.

Suddenly, keeping their bodies melded together, he pulled his head away just enough to look in to her eyes. She saw his brief uncertainty, his worry that he'd gone too far, but her answer was to pull him back towards her again. The touch of her lips to his was all the assurance he needed. He could have stayed in that moment forever.

Minutes, hours later, Sawyer didn't know which, he felt Juliet shaking. They were soaked to the bone and he knew that no matter how long she might want to stay there, she was freezing. He pulled away from her, and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Blondie, let's get you out of the rain." She smiled up at him and the two ran up to the beach toward their little yellow house.

A sudden noise broke Sawyer from his memory and he silently cursed. For a moment he could actually feel her arms around him, and he wanted nothing more than to stay there with her. She had been so full of life then, and now, she was barely hanging on. His warm tears mixed with the cold, wet rain as he lifted his heavy head and watched Horace walk through the door and over to his cage. Horace used the keys to unlock the door and gestured for him to come out.

"C'mon Jim, let's get you inside and we'll figure this thing out."

Sawyer unfolded himself and stood slowly, his joints stiff from the freezing rain and the stagnant position. He walked through the cage door and followed Horace inside.

* * *

Once inside, Sawyer fought to keep himself in check. His emotions were starting to get the best of him, and he knew the only way to get them out of this situation was to convince Horace to let them go. He was trying to figure out how in the hell he was going to explain things when a sudden commotion from the room up ahead broke his concentration.

The door swung open and he heard all sorts of beeping. Above the noise he heard Jack's voice clear as day, "Get me that blood now! C'mon, we're losing her!"

"Juliet!" Sawyer yelled as he tried to run towards the room, but Horace placed his hand out in front of him.

"There's nothing you can do for her in there Jim. Let the doc do what he can."

"C'mon H, let me at least see her!" Sawyer pleaded.

"You can see her when she's out of the OR." Horace stood firm, only because it wasn't a pretty sight in there and he didn't know if Jim was up to handling it right now. "Why don't we talk things over and if she's still in there when we're done, I'll take you in. Okay?"

Tearing his gaze away from the swinging doors, Sawyer nodded and followed Horace further down the corridor.

Horace first took Sawyer into the bathroom, gave him towels and fresh clothes and shoes, and then gave him five minutes to dry off and get changed. Afterward he brought him in to a small room that housed a table and some chairs. Horace pointed to one of the chairs and asked Sawyer to sit down.

"Now before we get started, I wanted you to know your friend Kate is in the next room. I'll leave it up to you if you want her to be in here for this or not."

Sawyer immediately shook his head. "No, she only has a small part in all of this; let's not complicate things any further."

"All righty," Horace responded. "So what do you want to talk about Jim?"

Sawyer debated quickly over the different routes he could take, but decided in the end to just be honest. Either Horace would believe him, or he would think they were all crazy, but in the end, their situation couldn't really get any worse than it already was, so there was no harm in trying.

"Well H, first I want to apologize for all the trouble we caused you over the past few days, and I want you to know it wasn't intentional. Things just kinda spun outta control and eventually I couldn't stop it. Three years back you were kind enough to let our crew stay, and this isn't the way I wanted to repay ya."

Horace nodded and Sawyer continued. "Well there's no fast or easy way to say this, so I'll do the best I can. When we came across Amy in the jungle three years ago, we weren't here because our boat crashed; we had already been on the island, just in a different time."

Sawyer paused, gauging Horace's reaction. "A different time Jim?" He finally asked. "I don't quite understand what you're trying to say."

Sawyer knew he wasn't going to be good at this. "What I'm tryin' to say is when we gave the hostile Sayid the truth serum the other day, we didn't give him too much; he was telling the truth. I was on Oceanic flight 815 with him; it crashed here September 22, 2004. We're from the future."

Horace promptly stood. "Now Jim I'm a reasonable man, but I'm not going to put up with this nonsense.

"Ask Chang," Sawyer countered before Horace could leave. "Ask'im about what his plans are for the Orchid." Horace stopped and turned to look at him. "Ask'im about what Daniel Faraday and the other scientists were working on in Ann Arbor. H, I know it sounds crazy, but you know as well as I do this Island is…different. You and yer people are doin' a lot of special work here, all I'm tryin' to tell you is that it pays off. Chang's theories are right; time travel is possible and me an' my crew are livin' proof."

Horace sat down and tried to make sense of what Jim was saying. He knew of Chang's plans all right, he thought the man was a little crazy, but then again, what did he know about physics anyway. But if what Jim was saying was true…if the Orchid really would be able to harness energy that could ultimately alter time…Horace couldn't think straight. There were still too many holes, too many variables.

"Jim I don't know if you're crazy or if Chang is crazy or, hell, if I'm crazy, but all this talk of time travel just doesn't sit right with me." Horace paused. "So time travel or not, I want it straight. No more lies, no more stories. I want to hear it all from beginning to end, tell me how you got here and don't leave anything out.

Sawyer took a deep breath and started from the beginning. An hour later he had Horace up to the part where he had jumped from the helicopter and found his way back to shore only to find that the freighter had been destroyed. "I swam up to shore and saw Juliet sitting there with a bottle of rum in her hand, not as tipsy as she was last New Year's," The two men both shared a smile remembering how Sawyer had to practically carry her home because she had had too much to drink. "But she had tossed a few back. She pointed to the sky line and all we saw was the pillar of black smoke." Sawyer paused. "Not two minutes later the entire sky lit up, the brightest light I ever saw, and this high pitched noise was all we could hear. It seemed to last forever, and when it was over, everything was gone. Our camp, our tents, food, everything; even that pillar of smoke. All we had were the shirts on our back, we had no idea what happened."

Horace didn't really know what to believe but listened on as Jim continued with the story, explaining the different flashes, and how Daniel had explained it to them as being on a skipping record. He talked about the different things they experienced in each of their jumps, and how the last time jump had landed them in 1974.

"The last flash was different H. It was way more intense, but, in a way--better. The headaches stopped, the nose bleeds were gone. We were okay again. And not five minutes after the flash, we came across Amy…the rest is history."

"So who are these other people that are working with you?" Horace asked. "Kate, Jack, Hurley…"

"Well when we first showed up here and I told you some of our crew went missing, well they are the crew. Only now you know they left by helicopter, but I was told they'd come back. So we kept lookin' for them. And four days ago they showed up."

"And Sayid was part of that group as well?"

"Yeah."

"So that's why you tried your best to keep him alive when we all wanted to kill him."

"Yeah H."

Horace just sat there, he didn't say anything for a long time, he just thought about what a tale it was and how maybe it was just possible that some of it was true. His curiosity eventually got the better of him however, "So what exactly what were you doing at the swan before we found you all unconscious on the ground?"

Sawyer waited a beat. "We went to blow up a hydrogen bomb."

"What?" Horace said, extremely confused. "Where did you get a hydrogen bomb?"

"It was hidden in the caves below the barracks."

Horace shook his head, stood up and started to pace. "So you tried to blow up a hydrogen bomb? You know that would have killed everyone on the island."

"No I don't think…"

"Jim, a weapon of that magnitude would blow this island to pieces."

Sawyer sighed. "Listen H, I don't totally understand it myself. The way Faraday explained it was…we couldn't change the past, whatever happened, happened. But, then he changed his mind and said that cause we weren't where we were supposed to be, that maybe we could change how things went down. If we could detonate the bomb, the energy pocket would never be released, which means that the station would never built to control that energy through a button that has to be pushed every 108 minutes. If that button don't have to be pushed, then Desmond will never be there to not push it which means our plane will never crash. Basically what the mad scientist said was that if we set off the bomb, then we could change everything and none of us would ever end up here."

Horace didn't know what to say so Sawyer continued.

"Obviously that plan didn't work because we're still here. But somethin' happened out there, the sky lit up so bright and that's the last thing we remember. But the bottom line is we're trying to get home H. We don't belong here; we belong in a different place, in a different time."

"And how do you think you are going to get home?"

"I don't know," Sawyer said honestly. "But I think Chang might have some ideas."

Horace mulled that over. "Well it could be tough getting to him, he's back on the main island and I know that most of the folk over there aren't too pleased with what happened earlier today."

"Is that why we're stuck over here in polar bear cages?" Sawyer asked.

"It was for your protection Jim. I wasn't happy about what happened either, but you've been nothing but a good man to me and to my people over the past three years, I figure I owe it to you to hear you out. The other guys, they wouldn't have been nearly as kind." Horace paused. "Plus we didn't know how many of you would need medical attention and all the doc's from the main island were on the sub so we figure it best to get you over here as quickly as possible."

"Good thing we got our own Doc with us then." Sawyer said, mostly just to pacify himself.

"She's strong," Horace said, getting Sawyer to meet his eyes. "She's always been way stronger than the both of us."

Sawyer laughed, knowing he was right.

"Listen H, I know I'm in no position to ask for any favors, but if Juliet makes it through this, just let us go. Let us take our chances on our own. I don't want you to be involved with any of this. Let us find Chang and get ourselves back to where we're supposed to be. I'm sure you've got your hands full over there anyway."

Sawyer watched as Horace thought things over. "I'm not giving you an answer now Jim, just know that I've heard your story and that by the time Juliet is ready to be up and walking around, you'll have your answer."

Sawyer nodded. It was more than he'd hoped for.

Horace went to leave the room but then turned back at the door, "Just out of curiosity, was I around when you crashed on the island?"

Sawyer was taken aback by the question. He didn't want to lie, but he'd done what he could to keep some of the truth from Horace; mostly because he was such a decent guy and Sawyer didn't want him knowing that Ben was going to eventually kill him. "No H you weren't. But there weren't any other Dharma folk here then either. My best guess is y'all decided to pack up and go home, but some decided to stay on anyway."

Horace nodded, apparently satisfied. "Alright, stay here Jim. I'll get you some food and I'll see how Juliet is doing."

"Hey Horace," Sawyer said, stopping him from leaving the room. "Thanks."

Horace smiled and left.

* * *

Sawyer had already counted the bread crumbs on his plate about twenty times and was half way through the holes in the ceiling tiles when the door to his room was opened. He didn't know how long he'd been in there, but it had felt like hours. As the door opened he expected to find Horace, but was surprised when it was Jack that walked in. He was dressed in scrubs and had sweat across his brow, his eyes looked exhausted but his face hopeful.

"She's alive." He stated simply.

Sawyer let out a whoosh of breath and laid his head on the table, feeling the cold wood against his warm skin. He squeezed his eyes shut and thanked the heavens that they'd been given another chance. He lifted his head and looked at Jack, not being able to help the smile that stretched across his face. He stood and wrapped Jack in a big bear hug, forgetting that mere hours earlier, if Juliet hadn't stopped him, he very well could have beaten him to death.

"Thanks" Sawyer whispered.

"Do you want to see her?" Jack asked, seeing the hesitation in Sawyer's eyes.

"Yeah." He answered; wanting nothing more than to be by her side, but so afraid to see her lying there bleeding and broken. Horace was right, she always was the strong one, and sometimes it was hard for him to play that part, but he'd do anything for her. Anything.

The two men walked side by side down the corridor, past the operating room and to a smaller room next door. Upon entering Sawyer looked everywhere else first. He noticed the IV's the monitors and the bustle of the two nurses that were checking to make sure everything was okay. When there was nothing else to look at he took a deep breath and started at her toes. He noticed the cast on her leg that ran from ankle to knee and the IV that stood out in stark contrast to the ugly purple bruises on her hand. Her torso was covered with a hospital gown so he could only imagine the ugly welts that were covering her waist. Working his way up further he finally reached her face. Cuts covered her neck and chin, her mouth still displayed the welt where Phil had struck her earlier this morning, her cheeks were red and raw, and her eyes…as blue as ever.

Sawyer blinked as Juliet smiled. After a minute of staring it finally registered with him that she was alive, awake, and looking right at him.

"Hey there," She whispered.

The tears he didn't realize he was holding back silently streamed down his cheeks. He walked slowly to her side, not quite believing it was real. He sat down on the bed next to her and lifted his hand to touch her cheek, but at the last minute hesitated.

"Juliet?" He whispered, questioning his sanity. He was too afraid that this was all a dream, too afraid that he would wake up again surrounded by bars with freezing water dripping down his back.

She sensed his reasons for hesitating and tried her best to reassure him. "Hey," she coaxed. 'I'm here, you're here, and we're okay."

He cupped her face with his hands and slowly brushed his thumbs over her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. She was real, she was alive. He couldn't believe it.

Taking care not to harm her further, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face in her hair. "God I thought I'd lost you." He whispered in her ear.

He pulled back then, fury in his eyes. "Juliet don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me?"

She nodded, tears now littering her cheeks. "I'm so sorry…"

But she didn't finish the thought for he pulled her back into his embrace. "Sweetheart I'm sorry," he countered. "I shouldn't be yellin' at you. You have no idea how much I love you do you?" He asked, pulling back again to look into her eyes.

"I wanted to believe James," she said with a broken voice, "I…"

"No," he stopped her. "Juliet, I know I gave you reasons to doubt me, and for that I'll always be sorry. I also know that it wasn't until the Doc went to drop that bomb that I realized what I was losin'. And to think I'd never have a shot at tellin' you that, well that almost destroyed me." He brought her hand up to kiss it. "But you're here and I'm tellin' you now Juliet Burke that you are the love of my life and I ain't never lettin' you go again."

She couldn't stop from smiling and she used most of her strength to pull him back into her arms.

"I love you so much." She whispered against the heat of his neck.

"I love you too." She heard him respond strong and sure.

With a quiet "ahem" the nurse interrupted, saying that they'd kept Juliet awake briefly to say hello, but that she needed to rest and heal.

"Can I stay?" Sawyer asked.

The nurses obliged warning him not to touch anything or upset her in any way. They and Jack then quietly left the room as Sawyer settled in the chair next to her, never letting go of her hand. He watched as Juliet drifted peacefully to sleep and then he laid his head on the bed next to her, hoping to get a few hours himself.

"Love you," he whispered as he kissed her hand once more and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 5**

Authors Note: Back from vacation! Came back to a very hectic week and weekend though which is why the update is so delayed. Okay enough talk…on with the story!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

Listening to the rain beat against the window Kate was glad to be inside, but as she watched the light fade to dark, she wondered if she'd ever get out of this damn room. They'd brought her some food, had taken her to the bathroom, but every time she asked what was going on, they simply said nothing. Sitting for hours with nothing to do had given her a lot of time to think.

The last few days had been a complete whirlwind, and looking back, she regretted some of the decisions she had made. Thinking back over the last moments she'd witnessed between Sawyer and Juliet before the flash, left her with a sickening feeling in her stomach. She had been so surprised at first to learn of Sawyer and Juliet. Not knowing much about her, it was hard for Kate to believe that Sawyer would ever find solace in a person such as Juliet. But as Juliet's hand had slowly slipped from his, the words, both spoken and unspoken that had been exchanged, the desperation on Sawyer's face, Kate had seen it; seen the utter love and devotion between them. It was something she believed only to be a fairy tale, but they had it--had almost lost it. And now the woman who was so brave, so quick to give up any hope of happiness to help her friends, was a few doors down, hanging on to life and hoping for a miracle.

Kate thought about what Daniel had said about people being variables. Was it her decisions alone that had brought them to the point of blowing up a nuclear bomb—or had it been everyone's collectively? Was it her fault Juliet was inches from death, or was it the Juliet's choice to come back that brought her to this point? What if she hadn't left Jack and Sayid to return to the barracks, what if she had never gotten on that sub, what if she had never convinced them to go back? The what if's were slowly driving her crazy.

She had spent so many years running from everything, that when she returned to the island she vowed never to run again. In trying to help Jack and the others, she thought she was running towards something, but it seemed all she ended up doing was running everyone else off track. Kate thought of her home in California, the baby boy that was probably confused and disoriented about where he was and who he was with, and the man she had once loved who was now trying to save one of their friends—the friend who had risked everything to set things right. Kate had had her chance at the good life and she had made her choice to come back. But it was very possible she took that choice from Sawyer and Juliet, and she'd never forgive herself for that.

Without more comfortable accommodations, Kate had been forced to stretch out on the metal table in the middle of the room. Her thoughts and memories started to become intertwined as she slowly drifted into another place, but she was brought abruptly back as the lock on her door was turned. She sat up quickly, not knowing who might be coming through the door, but just as quickly as her spine had straightened, her shoulders slumped forward…relief sweeping through her limbs as she saw Jack enter.

"Hey," he whispered; his voice raspy from too little water and too much stress.

"Hey," she countered, not sure what else to say—not sure what was going on. For a brief moment she dreamed of escape, thinking that the Dharma folk had somehow been overpowered and that Jack had come in to finally free her, but then she noticed the man behind him, blocking the doorway.

She resigned herself once again to being stuck in this place as Jack shuffled in. The door was once again closed behind them. She hadn't noticed it at first but Jack held a water bottle in his hand, he stepped forward and offered it to her, after she declined with a shake of her head he took a long swig and then proceeded to sit on the floor with his back to the wall and his knees pulled up to his chest. He rested his head against the cold brick and briefly closed his eyes. She knew he could feel her watching him, but she knew all too well that look of exhaustion, so she let him have his moment. She tried to read his face, his body language, but at that moment she couldn't get a good grip on what he was feeling. She wanted so badly to know what had happened, but she waited until he was ready.

Her audible sigh a few moments later had him cracking his lids open. Her look was so intent he couldn't help but pacify her.

"She's alive." He stated simply.

Kate let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but didn't quite know where to start.

"What do we do now?" She finally asked.

Jack shrugged, closed his eyes and laid his head back against the wall. "This is Sawyer's plan." Then, after a beat of silence, "We wait."

* * *

2007

"Hands in the air!" Bram shouted as he and Ilana aimed their guns at the newcomers.

"Wait!" Sun protested taking a step toward him, but his finger flexing on the trigger had her stopping in her tracks.

"Please," a voice behind her whispered, one she recognized as Jin's. "Please don't hurt my wife; she's done nothing to harm any of you. I can explain who we are and why we're here."

Forgetting her situation Sun turned, visibly awed by the words that had come out of her husband's mouth. The last time they'd seen each other he could barely string more than two English words together, and here he was speaking clearly as if he'd spoken the language his entire life. The man she loved had changed so much since they'd been apart, she could hardly believe it was him for a moment. But then their eyes caught and he gave her a smile she knew was only Jin's and her heart leapt. She never thought it possible but she was even more in love with him now than she had been just a minute before.

Taking another step forward Sun lifted her chin and looked directly at Ilana. "It's true," she stated. "Jin is my husband, please don't harm him, he is one of us."

Ilana stared at Sun for one second longer, passed a quick glance between Jin and Hurley and then nodded towards Bram. They lowered their guns and the trio slowly lowered their hands. Jin grabbed Suns hand tightly and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Curious still about the two men who had stumbled out of the forest wearing Dharma jumpsuits, Bram stepped forward, wanting to find out more. "How did you…"

Before he could finish asking Jin how they came to be there, scraping stone had the group turning towards the foot of the statue. Richard, who had entered the statue immediately after the flash appeared from the depths of the rock. The entire group took a collective step forward, and gathered around to hear what he had to stay.

Richard glanced around the entire group, and quickly masked his astonishment at the two men standing toward the back. However, their sudden appearance convinced him now more than ever that something terrible had happened. He knew for sure that the fate of the island was in jeopardy and if he didn't act fast, Jacob would be lost forever and the time line would never be set straight.

Expectant faces stared up at him and he knew they'd be as surprised as he that the temple was empty, but Richard also knew that much stranger things had happened. He decided to save the dramatics for another time and get straight to the point.

"They're gone."

* * *

1977

_The pain was unbearable, chains squeezing around her middle…dragging her down—further and further, but he wouldn't let go. She saw his face, his beautiful face—for a moment she pictured that face smiling, dimples so big; that image made her curse herself for what she had told him, how if she never met him she'd never have to lose him. She was trying to protect herself but instead she had hurt him. How could she have thought he didn't love her the way she loved him. Three days and a sidelong glance at Kate didn't for one second hold more meaning than the three years they had spent together._

_She watched as the screaming metal around them slowly buckled further and she knew they didn't have much time. She had tried to save herself from the heartache and pain before, but now she would save him. She could see in his eyes that he knew what she was doing, and as she proclaimed her love for him over and over, she knew he'd refuse to say it back. But she could see it in his eyes, could read it on his face, could feel it in the way his hand refused to let go of hers. But she wasn't going to be selfish anymore. _

_She tried to let go of his hand, but in trying, instead of falling everything became blurry and as the image of him faded to white, she could still feel the pressure of his hand on hers…_

Juliet's eyelids fluttered and she suppressed a groan at the bright light that fought to penetrate through the barrier. She moved her head slightly and that's when she heard his voice once more and felt the reassuring pressure of his hand on hers. _A dream, _she thought as she fought to keep her eyes open. _I'm here, I'm alive._

After several attempts she was able to focus and the first image she sought out was his face. He was sitting next to her bed, grasping her hand tightly with his own as his other hand lightly stroked her cheek.

"Welcome back to the land of the livin' Blondie." He drawled as his smile reached all the way to his eyes. "You've been out for over 24 hours."

She lifted her shaky hand and brushed it over his dimpled cheek. So happy to be given a second chance. She smiled in return as she whispered hoarsely, "Good to be back."

They sat and stared at each other, no words were spoken but none needed to be. They were content to just be in that place together.

Moments later he watched as she turned her head to glance at the wall of monitors beside her. She was looking for the heart monitors, and seeing that both were steady and strong she felt a momentary surge of joy, but that joy was quickly replaced by dread. How was she going to tell James about the baby? Were they going to continue to be held prisoner here, or worse, would they be killed for their betrayal? If they weren't killed, would she even live through giving birth if they remained on the island?

She thought of Amy and Ethan, how happy and healthy they both were, but she also thought about the event that had just taken place, and how her setting off a nuclear bomb may have been the catalyst for all the misfortune on the island that had followed. Juliet thought it very ironic that it was quite possible she was the reason why women couldn't give birth on the island, and it was she who had been brought here to try and fix that problem. Now she felt more like it was her punishment; having to return only to experience failure after failure.

But just maybe Miles had been wrong she thought. Maybe setting off the bomb did in fact stop the incident from occurring and had effectively changed the future. The problem was she'd never know for certain; the bottom line was they had to get off of the island.

He shook his head and laughed a little bit, watching as she so intensely concentrated on the monitors. "Everything in order Doc?" He asked, suddenly worried by her stare that something might be wrong. But he was quickly mollified as she turned toward him, with that beautiful smile, and nodded.

She couldn't let him know…not yet anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 6**

* * *

Authors Note: Sorry for the delay…life just seems to keep getting in the way! Just got finished going through the whole interview process and ended up getting a new job…a better job! So I'm very excited about that…and now fueling that excitement towards an update. So without further adieu…

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

2007

"What do you mean they're gone?" one of the others shouted out from the crowd.

"Just that." Richard stated calmly. "When I entered the temple, it was empty."

"Where did they go?"

"I'm not sure", Richard held up his hands to quiet the growing murmurs. "Listen, we are going to get this all figured out. Let's make camp here for the time being, and tomorrow I'll lead a group to the Temple. We may be able to learn more once we get there. For now, let's just be patient."

Although a few seemed reluctant to live and let live, the group started to set up camp. While the others were busy, Richard headed over to the small group that surrounded the newcomers.

"Hey dude, who are you?" Hurley asked, intrigued as to who he was and why everyone seemed to follow his orders.

"My name is Richard." He answered. "And you are?"

"I'm Hugo, but everyone calls me Hurley. And this here is Jin."

"Hurley, Jin." Richard regarded them both in kind. "Is there anyone else with you?" Richard asked.

Hurley and Jin looked at each other, before replying "No" at the same time.

Richard didn't believe them but he didn't push it either. There'd be time for that later.

"Listen Hugo, something happened that caused a blinding white flash, do you know anything about that?"

"Oh totally dude." Hurley exclaimed. "Things went crazy in Dharmaville and Jack said that Daniel Faraday told him that if we set off a nuclear bomb that whatever caused our plane to crash wouldn't happen. So we took the bomb to the Swan Station, or what would be the Swan Station, and threw it down the hole where all the magnetic energy was coming from. But it didn't go off dude. Then the drill must have hit the pocket of energy and everything magnetic was being dragged down. Objects were flying everywhere so I took cover. Then all of the sudden there was this crazy flash and when it was over, everyone had disappeared."

"What do you mean 'disappeared' Hugo?" Richard asked.

"Like, they were just gone dude. I was just wandering through the jungle looking for people and eventually ran into Jin and…Jin. Uh, and then we saw you guys on the beach and here we are."

Richard wasn't sure what to make of his story, other than the fact that clearly the flash had transported him and his friend from the 70's into the present time. If they traveled forward in time, Richard mused, it's just possible that Ben traveled back.

"Okay Hugo, thank you." Richard said. He then turned towards Ilana and Bram. "At first light we'll go to the temple, we may get some answers there, we may not. If we don't, it's on to the orchid."

"We'll go with you." Jin interjected.

"No, I'm sorry Jin, this isn't a trip that I can take you on."

"Our friends are still lost, still in a different time. We want to help bring them back." Jin stood his ground.

Richard looked from Jin to Sun to Hurley, noticing the determined looks on all their faces. With the exception of Sun, he distinctly remembered watching as the other two and their friends had perished, but the chain of events had just been altered, it was possible that this group had the power to change the future of the island.

"Fine," Richard relented. "But we're going to be traveling to highly unstable places…you only go where you're told to go, understand?"

The three nodded.

"We leave at first light." With that Richard turned and walked back towards the camp.

* * *

1977

(Two Weeks Later)

Juliet was bored—there were no ifs, ands or buts about it. Two days after waking up to James holding her hand, the Dharma doctors deemed her well enough to make the trip back to Dharmaville. They transported her, James, Jack and Kate by boat, back to the main island. Dharmaville was like a ghost town for them at first. On that fateful day when the bomb had been set off, many Dharma members had died, and many more had left to never return. The skeleton crew that remained seemed more interested in repairing all the damage that had been done, than the four fugitives who had returned, so the group was, for the most part, left to themselves.

On their first night back, Horace had explained that after a meeting with the remaining Dharma members, they voted to allow the four to remain at the barracks, until they decided what to do with them. However if any trouble was caused, they'd all end up right back in the cages. Horace allowed them to return to their houses, James and Juliet to theirs, Kate to hers and Jack to his. It was silly not to seeing as no one else would be occupying them anyway. Juliet was pushed by wheelchair to the front door, and James then helped her the rest of the way inside.

Her internal injuries were healing quickly, but her leg was being stubborn. She was sporting a cast that ran from hip to ankle, so even moving around on crutches was difficult. So while the others began planning how they were going to get themselves back to the future, Juliet had been left to pretty much fend for herself. During the day, Jack, Kate and James would leave to do 'research'. There were visiting the different stations, seeing how much of them were actually constructed, and trying to find ways to help their situation. Jack, who was the one to have the most access to Faraday's journal, took it upon himself to speak with Chang. The doctor was quite forthcoming with his thoughts on time travel, but unfortunately the orchid had not been fully constructed and Chang had not yet figured out how to harness the energy of the island, therefore some of the essential time traveling pieces were still missing.

At night, the four would all meet at James and Juliet's house to talk about the things they'd discovered, and to hash and re-hash their plans, but during the day, Juliet was left, on the couch, all alone, and she was bored to death. Sick of reading the same damn books, she pushed herself up and hobbled into the kitchen. After filling a glass with water, she leaned against the sink and absently stared out the window. Not a minute later, a figure rounded one of the outlying buildings and was walking slowly through the quad. As the figure neared Juliet squinted trying to get a good look, a few inches further and she finally realized who it was.

"Ben?"

* * *

Sawyer was exhausted. He, Jack and Kate had been taking daily trips to the Orchid for the past week. While the station hadn't been fully built yet, Sawyer easily located the well that Locke had once used to move the island…Unfortunately it had been filled in. After trying to think of any conceivable way around it, the trio relented and started digging. The only way to get down there was to tunnel through the dirt. They'd spent hours each day meticulously digging down. The problem was they had no idea how far they had to dig or what they might be looking for.

In addition, severe rain over night had filled their hole with a muddy mess, and after spending the majority of the day siphoning the water out, an afternoon shower brought them right back to where they had started that morning.

Reality was sinking in…if they wanted to find what they were looking for, they were going to need help. Unfortunately there was no one to ask. They couldn't risk being sent back to Hydra Island, therefore they couldn't take any of the Dharma tools or equipment that would fly above the radar. It was only a matter of time before Horace and the others decided their fate, Sawyer knew they needed to be gone before that happened.

Tired, angry, sore, and completely covered in mud, the trio entered the quad of Dharmaville. Sawyer grunted a goodbye to Jack and Kate, they had decided unanimously an hour earlier to forego their usual evening meeting in place of a night of solitude. Sawyer wanted nothing more than a hot shower, a cold beer and some good home cooking.

As he approached the house, he noticed none of the lights were on. At this time of night Juliet usually had every light in the house on. He knew her boredom was quickly taking over and she could never sit in one room for more than a handful of minutes. HE felt bad leaving her all day, but he knew it was for the best…the sooner they could reach the bottom of the well, the sooner him and Juliet could get off the island for good.

Sawyer approached the front porch and noticed the door was slightly ajar. He quickly pushed open the door and turned on the lights. Empty. He did a quick search of the rest of the house. Empty.

"Juliet?" He called out. "JULIET!"

No response.

"Where the hell is she?"

TBC

* * *

So I know…long time without an update and then a short chapter. I'm hoping this won't be stretched out too much longer, the pieces are starting to fall into place and the pace should be picking up. So bare with me! Probably only a handful of chapters left. Promise to update sooner next time! Thanks for your patience!


	7. Chapter 7

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 7**

* * *

Authors Note: Chapter 7 is here…told you it wouldn't take as long! Found some inspiration last night so I kept truckin'. Quickest update yet!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

Juliet couldn't believe what, or rather who, she was seeing, so she hobbled to the front door to get a better look. She walked out on the porch as the figure approached her house.

"Ben?"

"Hullo Ms. Burke."

"Ben, what are you doing here by yourself, where is your father?"

The boy looked up at her with eyes that were way beyond his years. They were the eyes she had come to know and fear. A shiver ran through her body and she suppressed the need to take a step backwards.

"One of the hostiles walked me back to the fence, Richard told me I was well and had to return home."

She did her best to smile and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

"Well, we are glad to have you back." She lied. "Your dad must still be out working. Things have changed a bit around here since you left and we are somewhat shorthanded. Your dad is pitching in up at the Swan Station to get things back to normal."

"Alright," he shrugged. "I guess I'll just walk home then."

Juliet let the boy turn and take a few steps before her reasoning shut down and her instinct kicked in. She wished like hell James was home, but he was who knows where, gallivanting around with Jack and Kate. _'Oh well,'_ she thought. _'Better do the right thing.'_

"It's getting dark," She called out to his receding figure. "Why don't you let me walk you home."

The boy turned and smiled. "Okay!" he said cheerfully.

They walked slowly, slow was the only pace Juliet could manage with her cast.

"So how did you hurt yourself?" the curious boy asked.

"It's a long story." Juliet responded, not wanting to think about the events from a few weeks prior.

"I'm not a kid anymore." Ben stated as he looked her in the eye. "You can tell me."

She couldn't stop the fear from rising within her, then chided herself for being afraid of an eleven year old. But those eyes, it'd been three years since she had seen those eyes and she'd give anything to go a lifetime more without seeing them ever again.

"Well," she started, treading lightly as she'd learned to do with the older version of Ben. "Something went terribly wrong at the Swan Station, a pocket of electromagnetic energy was released which drew in all objects that were magnetic. I unfortunately got caught up in some metal chains and was dragged down into the large hole the workers had been digging. I fell a long ways and got very hurt in the process." Simplifying it didn't lessen the vivid memories playing over in her head. If she tried very hard she could still feel the chains pulling at her waist, and the grip James had on her wrist. She still wondered what would have happened if she hadn't made the choice to let go.

Lost in her memories, the two rounded the playground and were only a short ways from Ben's house, but his next question snapped her back to the present.

"How did you get out?"

"Get out?" Juliet asked.

"Yes," Ben prodded. "How did you get out of the hole?"

"Well," Juliet started, wondering how to explain a nuclear bomb to a kid, but she never finished that thought.

Juliet's mouth gaped open in horror at the figure standing on the Linus' front porch. With the child standing next to her, and the man he'd one day become standing in front of her, Juliet didn't know where to go, didn't know what to think, and didn't know what to do.

Ben took a step forward, acknowledged his younger self with a head nod, and then looked straight at her.

"Hello Juliet."

* * *

2007

Dawn arrived and the day was bright and clear. The small group gathered around the fire to eat breakfast and pack supplies. Jin, Sun and Hurley huddled close together, not wanting to get in the way, but not wanting to miss out on anything either. Once all was packed, they set out towards the temple. Richard led the way with Bram and Ilana in the rear, this put the trio in between.

A few hours later they reached the temple. Jin immediately recognized it as where he had encountered the smoke monster with Rousseau's team during the time flashes.

"Smoke monster," He stated plainly once the group had gathered.

"Yes." Richard answered. "The smoke monster guards this temple. Only a select few can enter without repercussions. So I'm going to ask the rest of you to stay here while I go inside."

He nodded to Bram and Ilana, signaling them to keep a watchful eye.

"What do you hope to learn here?" Sun asked as Richard turned to enter.

"I'm hoping to find out where your friends are." He replied.

"Don't you mean when dude?" Hurley asked.

Richard just looked at him for a second before climbing down between the cracks in the temple wall.

---

About thirty minutes later Richard returned. Addressing Bram and Ilana in a hushed tone he said, "We have to go now, there's trouble, we need to stop it."

"What trouble?" Sun asked, overhearing Richard.

He turned towards the rest of the group. "Your friends are in trouble, we have to go help them."

"Go back?" Jin asked.

"Yes Jin," Richard said. "We have to go back."

"Go back where?" Sun asked.

"To 1977 dude."

Sun looked from Hurley to Richard.

"And how do we do that?" She asked.

"We have to go to the Orchid." Richard replied.

* * *

1977

"Hello Ben." Juliet replied, not wanting her fear to show through.

"You're Ben too?" the little boy asked him, clearly intrigued.

"How about that," Ben replied. "We share the same name." he said, crouching down to bring his face level to little Ben's. "Want to know what else we share?"

Before little Ben could answer Juliet cut him off. "Ben," she said looking at the man standing on the porch. "I'm sure I can help you with whatever you need." Then looking at the youngster at her side, "Tell Ben it was nice to meet him, run inside and make yourself some dinner okay? Your father should be along any time now."

Little Ben hunched his shoulders. He didn't like being treated like a kid, but he couldn't help but do what Ms. Burke said; out of all the people in Dharmaville, she was always the nicest to him. "Okay." He relented. "Nice to meet you Ben." He said as he walked by the stranger on his porch.

"The pleasure has been all mine Ben." Ben replied, smiling at the scrawny boy who walked inside. As soon as the door shut Ben turned towards Juliet. "Well wasn't that interesting." He stated as he walked down the steps.

"What are you doing here Ben?" She asked, not wanting to boggle her mind with the possibilities that time travel presented to them.

"I should ask you the same thing Juliet." He retorted, playing games as usual.

"You know why I'm here." Juliet responded.

"Yes, I guess I do." He relented.

"Did you know this would happen?" Juliet asked. "Did you know that when you left we would be stuck here like this in a different time?"

"Seems to me you did just fine in the 70's." Ben replied. "As a matter of fact, where is James?" He asked, looking around mockingly, as if searching for him.

Juliet tried with all her might to garner no response to his question, but the anger in her eyes betrayed her cool exterior. Flashes of Goodwin shot through her mind, and after almost losing James once, she'd be damned if Ben tried to do anything to take him away from her.

"Aah silence." Ben said after a moment. "Well, we'll leave that be for the moment. For now I need you to come with me Juliet."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Juliet sneered. "Your time is over here Ben, it's _been_ over here. I'm finished taking orders from you or from anyone else for that matter."

"Oh I don't think you are Juliet." Ben replied calmly. "If you ever want to see any of your friends alive again, I think you'll do exactly what I ask you. Jack, Kate, _James_," he drawled out. "As long as we are gone before the return home, they'll be allowed safe passage. But if we don't leave right now, well…their fate rests in your hands."

She didn't know how he did it, but at that moment she had no doubt in her mind that Ben was in control here. Wanting to bide some time and keep her friends safe she decided to play along.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"We're going to where this all started." He responded. "And where it's all going to end."

Ben scanned the area to make sure that no one was around to see them leave.

"Alright let's go Juliet. If we want to make it to the Orchid by night fall we'll have to get moving."

"The Orchid?" Juliet questioned. "The Orchid isn't even built yet. How is that going to help anybody?"

"That's not going to matter." Ben replied. "Let's go."

The two started walking away from the barracks. Juliet turned briefly to look at the house behind her. She saw a small movement from behind the curtains, and two eyes, haunting eyes, staring out at her. She threw little Ben a look that hopefully he read as 'help me', then quickly turned again to face forward. Ben, preoccupied with scanning the surrounding area, didn't see her.

* * *

2007

About an hour into their hike, Richard, who was leading the way suddenly stopped. He turned, looked back to Bram and Ilana, and then pointed to his left. Bram and Ilana both took a stance and cocked their guns.

"Come out right now!" Richard then yelled. "We know you're there, come out before someone gets hurt."

After a moment of silence, there was a rustling of the trees and a figure came out of the brush.

"Miles!" Hurley yelled. "Dude where have you been?"

Miles, with his hands in the air looked from Hurley to Richard and then to Bram and Ilana.

"You know this man?" Richard asked Hurley.

"Yeah dude. He was with us during the flash."

Richard regarded this then looked back at Miles.

"Why were you following us?" He asked.

"Hey man," Miles responded. "I don't mean any harm. I thought you were holding them as prisoners. I wanted to make sure nothing happened to them."

"Well, they are here on their own free will."

Miles looked at the trio and Jin, Sun and Hurley all nodded at Richard's statement.

"Are there any more of you?" Richard then asked.

"What?" Miles responded.

"Any more of your people that made their way back to the present?"

Miles shook his head. "No man, I searched the jungle but I'm it. Me, Jin and Hurley were the only ones who made it back."

Richard looked at him for a minute, then decided he was telling the truth.

"Alright," he then said. "Since you've come this far you might as well go with us."

"Where are you going?" He asked Richard.

"To save our friends." Sun replied.

"Whatever man." Miles said.

The group fell back in line and they proceeded on towards the Orchid.

TBC

* * *

End Note: Thanks as always for everyones great reviews! They all bring me great inspiration!


	8. Chapter 8

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 8**

Authors Note: Sorry for the gap between the last update and this one. Totally meant to keep the updates coming…but as always…life got in the way. Anyway, the end is getting closer!! Enjoy!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

Sawyer was starting to panic. He knew Juliet was bored out of her mind being stuck at home all day, but it wasn't like her to just leave without a clue as to where she was. He had talked with her that morning about convincing Jack and Kate to take the night off so that the two of them could enjoy some time together; the last thing Sawyer expected was to come home to an empty house.

After he'd checked each room he ran outside once again and headed towards Jack's house. Before he could make it there however, he was stopped by a small figure in the middle of the sidewalk.

"What're you doin' here?" He sneered at the little boy. He didn't mean to come off harsh; he was just surprised to see Ben. Things had gotten so crazy over the past few weeks; he forgot the boy was even gone to begin with.

Ben audibly gulped and took a step backwards.

"Hey now kid," Sawyer coaxed, remembering how skittish he could be. "Sorry for scarin' ya." Ben looked up at him. _Those eyes_. James thought. He took a step back and put his hands in the air, the eyes staring back at him weren't a child's eyes, and Sawyer didn't want to do anything to offend him. He knew to tread lightly. "Just wasn't expectin' to see ya there is all." Sawyer explained.

"S'okay." Ben replied.

The boy and the man stood in silence for a few seconds, neither sure what to say to the other.

"Well," Sawyer started, "I better be gettin' on, got somethin' important to find."

With that he went to move past the boy, hoping that'd be the end of their encounter.

"He took her." The boy stated simply.

Without knowing why, Sawyer knew Ben was talking about Juliet.

"Who? Where?" He demanded as he whirled around and grabbed Ben by the front of his shirt, quickly forgetting his promise to keep his distance.

Ben visibly shrunk away from him and Sawyer immediately let him go. Kid probably got enough of that at home he thought to himself.

"Sorry," Sawyer muttered. "Not your fault, just tryin' to find her is all."

Ben nodded in understanding. "He said his name was Ben, same as mine!" Ben said excitedly.

But Sawyer was anything but excited to hear the boy say that. "Ben?" He questioned. "Goofy lookin' bastard?"

Little Ben nodded.

Sawyer couldn't even imagine the encounter the two must have had. But he didn't have time to think about that right now.

"Do you know where he took her?" Sawyer asked hopefully.

"I heard them say something about the Orchid." Ben responded. "I was supposed to be in the house, but I listened to what they said instead."

"Did they say anything else?" Sawyer asked.

Ben shook his head. "No…" and after a moment, "But when they were leaving Ms. Burke turned around and looked at me funny."

"Looked at you funny?" Sawyer questioned.

"Yeah," Ben responded. "The other Ben seemed nice enough, but it was like Ms. Burke didn't want to go with him."

Sawyer's panic struck up all over again. He had to get to the Orchid and fast.

"Listen Ben I need you to do me and Ms. Burke a big favor okay?" Sawyer asked.

Ben nodded his head.

"Now this is real important," He began. "Go to that house over there." He pointed towards Jack's house. "The man who lives there is named Jack. Tell Jack that Mr. LaFleur went after Juliet because Ben has her and is taking her to the Orchid. Do you think you can remember that?" He asked the boy.

Ben nodded. "Yes sir I can."

"Okay," Sawyer responded. "Ms. Burke will be very happy you helped her."

At that Ben smiled. That smile made Sawyer sick to his stomach. He couldn't even begin to think about all the things they'd been responsible for in this boy's life…things that probably made him into the person he'd become.

"Okay go!" Sawyer prompted, and with that Ben started running towards Jack's house.

Sawyer turned and started running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Juliet was in excruciating pain. She tried her best to keep up not wanting to show Ben weakness, but her leg was simply throbbing. The sun had long since set, the darkness slowing their pace some, but now Juliet knew why James, Jack and Kate wouldn't let her go with them during the day; she simply wasn't ready to be up and walking around. She wanted to believe her leg was nearly healed, but this little stroll through the jungle was proving otherwise.

Ben didn't quite seem to care however; he was a man on a mission. More than once Juliet lost sight of him ahead of her and contemplated simply turning around and heading back, but she knew he'd fulfill his promise of hurting her friends—and he always ended up backtracking to come get her before she could turn around anyway.

About two hours into the hike she'd simply had enough. Without even consulting Ben, Juliet picked out a nice rock and sat down. The throbbing lessened immediately, but the dull ache in her bones wouldn't be going away any time soon. She wished like hell she had some water, and thought longingly about the dinner she had been preparing back home. Her stomach growled in response to her thoughts, but she quickly shoved them down. She should be thinking about how to get them out of this situation, not about food. But then she thought about how she was eating for more than one these days, she thought briefly back to a few nights ago how James had teased her mercilessly about the third helping of pasta she had taken. She wanted so badly to tell him then, but she knew she had to put it off just a little longer—she hoped like hell they'd get back to where they were supposed to be before he figured things out for himself.

"Just what are you doing Juliet?" The intrusion of Ben's condescending voice snapped her out of her revere and she turned to look up at him.

"My leg isn't quite up to a hike through the jungle yet Ben." She retorted. "If you want to get me there in one piece you'll have to give me a minute here."

"Fine." He responded. "Five minutes, but Juliet? That's it; we're not waiting around any longer than that."

The look she gave him before he turned and walked through the trees, it was almost if he knew she'd…and then she realized. He remembered her being taken away by a 'bigger Ben'. She shuddered. Whether little Ben ended up helping her or not, Ben remembered it…and he knew what was coming next.

* * *

2007

"Who exactly are you people?" Sun asked Ilana as they continued on their hike towards the orchid.

The group had been walking for about an hour, an hour that had given Sun a lot of time to think about what was happening. She realized that while they had originally pushed to come on this little adventure to help their friends, as they hiked deeper into the jungle, Sun felt they were simply being led blindly to a place they knew nothing about.

And to have to return to 1977—two days ago she would have been completely on board with that, knowing that it was highly possible that that was where Jin was. But now she had him back, and the last thing she wanted to do was go time traveling and risk losing him again. Before they agreed to do anything else, Sun wanted some answers.

"We're the good guys." Ilana responded.

"No! That's enough!" Sun shouted, startling the rest of the group and causing them all to stop. "That may appease other people but it's not working with me." She heaved out a breath and continued. "Where are you taking us and why do you need us to go there?" She pushed. "We don't know who you people are or what you're trying to do. For all we know you're going to send us all back in time and leave us there, or worse—get us killed."

Hopping on board, Jin, Miles and Hurley stepped up behind her.

"Yeah dude," Hurley agreed. "Just what is the plan here?"

Richard stepped forward and put his hands out in mock surrender, but Sun didn't let him speak.

"Richard when I showed you that picture of my husband you said you watched him and my friends die." Hurley and Jin looked at each other and then at Richard, clearly surprised to hear this bit of information. "Yet here they are alive and well, can you explain that?"

Richard shook his head. "No, Sun I can't." When no one responded to that, Richard continued. "Ilana and Bram are the good guys." He continued. "They were brought to the island just as you were. A war is coming and we need to make sure the right side wins."

"And we're the right side?" Jin asked.

"Yes." Richard responded. "Something happened that didn't happen before." Looking at Sun, "When your husband came back to 2007, it was because something changed, your friends somehow changed the course of time, and because of that, whatever happened, is no longer going to happen."

"So like, what_ is_ going to happen?" Hurley asked.

"That's the problem," Richard said. "I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is that we have to get to the Orchid and get back to 1977 where the rest of your friends are. Whatever is going to happen, it's going to happen there. If we don't get there, the wrong side is going to win and all of this," He waved his hands around, "it will all be different."

Sun still didn't fully understand the situation, but she understood the seriousness that was in Richard's eyes.

"So what is it you think we are going to be able to do?" She asked. "It's not like we know how to fight a war."

Jin and Hurley nodded in agreement, Miles was simply watching the interaction.

"It's not that kind of war." Bram stated.

"What does that mean?" Sun asked

But before she could be answered, the wind kicked up and angry clouds quickly rolled in.

"We have to keep moving!" Richard shouted over the roar of the wind. "It's starting!"

* * *

1977

Sawyer had been running for over 20 minutes and although he didn't want to slow down, his lungs protested. He slowed to a fast walk and took a swig of water. It was pitch black out and while he was headed in the general direction of the Orchid, he had no idea if he was following Ben and Juliet or not. It took almost an hour to walk to the Orchid when you had use of both your legs, he had no idea how long it'd take Juliet with her cast, but he also didn't think to ask little Ben how long it'd been since they'd left.

Just as he was about to pick up the pace again he heard a rustling in the trees behind him. Crouching down he drew his gun and waited.

"Sawyer?" He heard Kate whisper. He immediately lowered his gun and stood up.

"Here Kate." He responded.

Kate and Jack emerged from the trees, both breathing heavily.

"You move fast when you want to." Kate smiled at him as she continued to take deep breaths.

"Ben has her." He responded. "We have ta find her."

"We will." Jack said. "Kate picked up another trail about 50 yards to the East of us. It's definitely Juliet and Ben.

Sawyer looked longingly to his left and Kate put her arm on Sawyer's shoulder.

They're only about twenty minutes ahead of us." She reassured him.

He nodded absently.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Yeah let's find this bastard." Sawyer responded.

* * *

TBC!


	9. Chapter 9

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 9**

Authors Note: Two in one day…crazy! Had some extra time so I got this down. Hoping to get to work on the next chapter soon…but you know how it goes!! Thanks as always for reading and for all your great reviews!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

Jack, Kate and Sawyer moved quickly but quietly through the jungle. The silence indicated that even the birds and animals sensed something wasn't quite right. The night life on the island was always very vibrant, but tonight, there was nothing. Fifteen minutes ago Kate had easily picked up Juliet and Ben's trail, and at her hand signal, they knew they were closing in. Sawyer estimated they were still about twenty minutes from reaching the Orchid, he could only imagine the pain that Juliet must be in right about now. He wished he'd thought to bring her pain medication with him but he'd simply been in too much of a panic to think rationally.

'_Well even if I can't ease her pain, at least I can get her away from Ben,'_ he thought as he went to take the lead, but Kate's hand quickly shot out and held Sawyer back. That's when they heard the voices.

"Just what are you doing Juliet?"

Sawyer held his breath.

"My leg isn't quite up to a hike through the jungle yet Ben. If you want to get me there in one piece you'll have to give me a minute here."

He smiled, knowing she was in pain but proud that she wouldn't give in to Ben. She was so much stronger than he'd ever be.

"Fine. Five minutes, but Juliet? That's it; we're not waiting around any longer than that."

Jack, Kate and Sawyer listened as a single set of footsteps continued on north. Then after a moment of silence…

"Don't worry my baby, I know you're hungry but I promise to get you some food as soon as possible."

Sawyer's breath hitched at Juliet's murmur and Jack's head snapped around to look at him; but Sawyer didn't notice. Instead he went to move forward but Kate tried to hold him back once again. Jack simply placed his hand on her shoulder and upon her glance back, shook his head. She sighed and let Sawyer continue on.

Sawyer pushed through the trees until he could see her sitting on a rock. The pale moonlight streaked through her hair. He could see the sweat beads across her brow and her leg as it lay awkwardly on the ground. He watched transfixed as she took a deep breath, lowered her head, closed her eyes and absently rubbed her hand across her stomach. She had never looked more beautiful to him than she did in that moment.

'_Her child, our child,'_ he thought. The joy that surged through him was completely foreign and he realized he liked the feel of it. But that joy quickly came crashing down as he thought about all of the women who had died on this island, all of the women who had died because of the children they carried inside them. Sawyer instantly became more determined than ever to get them back to where they belonged.

As he moved to enter the small clearing there was a sudden rustling of the trees. Ben appeared behind Juliet and Sawyer soundlessly backed away.

"Time's up Juliet. Let's go."

Sawyer watched as Juliet nodded and struggled to stand.

* * *

Five minutes later, once Ben and Juliet were out of earshot, Sawyer was seething.

"Did you know about this?" He asked in a hushed whisper as he looked between Jack and Kate.

Kate shook her head but Jack nodded.

"And you didn't feel it necessary to fill me in Doc?" Sawyer accused.

"No Sawyer," Jack stated simply. "Juliet told me she was pregnant before I performed surgery on her; she wanted to make sure I knew so that I could do everything possible to help her and the baby." He paused, watching Sawyer think about those precious moments when no one knew if she'd live or die. "Afterward, she asked me not to say anything," He shrugged his shoulders. "So I didn't."

Sawyer didn't like it. He just didn't understand why she didn't want to tell him he was going to be a father.

"Listen," Kate interjected. "None of this will matter if we can't get her off of this island. And the only way we are going to do that is if we figure out what Ben is doing. We need to come up with a plan."

Sawyer shot one more look towards Jack then nodded his head towards Kate. "What'd you have in mind Freckles?"

* * *

2007

Just as quickly as the wind and revved up, it had died down. What remained however was an eerie calm. They could all feel something was coming. Richard, Ilana, Bram, Jin, Sun, Hurley and Miles all walked quickly, scanning the surrounding area for anything that wasn't right.

After a little while, they got used to the 'off' feeling, and the silence seemed to stretch on and on.

"Man you were pretty bad ass back there." Miles said to Sun breaking the stillness.

She turned to look at him. "I'm sorry who are you again?"

Miles laughed. "Miles Straume. I spent three years in the Dharma Initiative with your husband." He turned towards Jin "We're buddies right?"

Jin just shook his head. "Miles is from the freighter crew." Jin explained to Sun, "You left the island before you had the chance to meet him."

"Yeah because you're people held me prisoner!" Miles exclaimed.

Jin ignored him but Hurley's muffled laugh was heard by all.

"He, Charlotte and Daniel were with us during the flashes." Jin told her.

"The flashes that brought you to 1974?"

Jin nodded.

"So where are Charlotte and Daniel now, still in 1977?" Sun asked, trying to understand.

Jin hung his head. "They died."

It was difficult for Sun to comprehend what had happened. She accepted the basic concept of time travel, even though a photograph was her only proof beyond her husband's word; but like herself, Jin had experienced three years on his own; he'd formed relationships and memories that she might never learn of or know about.

"Miles is cool dude." Hurley interjected, pulling her out of her thoughts. "He just says dumb stuff sometimes."

"At least I don't _do_ dumb stuff Star Wars boy." Miles huffed.

"Dude…" Hurley responded.

"So what do you think they meant when they said _'it's not that kind of war'_?" Sun asked the group, effectively changing the subject.

Jin and Hurley shrugged.

"I think they mean that we won't be using weapons to fight the bad guys." Miles suggested.

They each thought about this for a moment.

"So what _will_ we use then dude?" Hurley finally asked.

They all looked at each other but before anyone could think of an answer, there were murmurs from ahead.

"We're here." Richard said.

* * *

1977

After what seemed like forever, Ben and Juliet reached the Orchid. She was exhausted and simply sat and watched as Ben got a fire going. As the firelight lit up the construction site, she wondered what exactly they'd be able to accomplish here; the station wasn't even built yet. Ben found some basic supplies in one of the stranded vehicles, he offered her a bottle of water and some crackers. She ate and drank greedily, and Ben watched in surprise as she finished off the food he'd given her in record time.

"Hungry Juliet?" He asked.

"You interrupted my dinner Ben." She calmly replied.

"I guess after having you come here with me, it would have been too much to ask you to share."

"You guessed right." She said.

After a few moments of silence Juliet started to become restless. Ben seemed to just be sitting there.

"What are we doing here Ben?" She asked "What's the point of this?"

He just looked at her. "We're waiting."

"Let's go over it one more time." Kate said.

The trio had followed Ben and Juliet towards the Orchid. Once they had reached the clearing of the construction site, Kate, Jack and Sawyer had headed over towards the well to finalize their plan.

"We circle around behind Ben and the three of us take him by force." Jack stated. "Once Juliet is safe, then we interrogate him to find out why he is here."

"Simple enough." Sawyer said, "But if anything happens to Juliet…" he trailed off.

"It won't." Kate stated confidently. "It's three against one Sawyer."

"But it's Ben." Sawyer shot back at her. "He's always one step ahead."

"Well, we'll deal with whatever is thrown at us." Jack said.

"Fine, let's go then." Sawyer said, ending the conversation.

The three moved through the trees towards the Orchid.

* * *

Still hungry and extremely tired, Juliet caught herself as her head started to nod. Ever since her surgery, she tired very easily, today was by far the most physical strain she'd put on her body, and it simply wasn't keeping up with her.

Ben watched as she struggled to remain awake, surprised at the sheer strength he saw within her. He didn't foresee this as a problem per say, but he found this new Juliet very intriguing all the same.

A rustle in the trees had both of them snapping to attention. Ben quickly grabbed his gun but he wasn't quick enough. An arm snaked around his neck and he felt the cold hard steel of a gun at his temple.

Being in this situation more than once before, he was more surprised than scared; what really intrigued him was the look of sheer surprise on Juliet's face.

"Sayid?"

* * *

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 10**

Authors Note: So I know this chapter took a long time…and I know it's on the shorter side…but it is the set up for what is to come next. Barring any crazy twists that I haven't yet foreseen, Chapter 11 will be the last chapter! So hold on tight…it's the beginning of the end!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

2007

Hurley noticed that the orchid station looked the same as it had three years earlier when he had made the same trek with Locke and Ben. Although rundown and overgrown, the structure retained a natural beauty that anyone could appreciate. Hurley looked over and saw Miles kicking around rocks and poking at the plants…_'almost anyone'_ he thought.

"So like, what are we going to do now that we're here dude?" Hurley asked.

"I'm going to use the special energy of the island to bring us back to 1977." Richard replied simply. "Your friends are there and they are in trouble. We need help them and get them back to where they belong."

"But when Ben went down there he like, moved the island. Are you going to move the island too?"

"No," Richard replied. "I'm simply going to take us back in time."

"More flashes?" Jin asked.

"Just one." Richard replied.

"And what are we supposed to do when we get there?" Sun asked.

"You'll know." Bram replied.

"What is it with you people?" Miles interjected. "Can't you just give us a straight answer?"

"It's not something that can be explained." Ilana responded. "You all were brought to the island for a specific reason. The lives you had been living before coming here were often marred with trouble, secrets, bad choices and bad experiences. The island brought you here so that you could have a second chance. In return, now you have to help the island."

"Help the island do what?" Miles asked.

"Continue existing." Richard replied.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Jin questioned.

"It can't be explained." Ilana responded. "You'll just know."

Miles, Jin, Sun and Hurley looked at the other three like they were crazy.

"Please," Ilana continued. "Just trust us. We will protect you."

"Yeah right." Miles muttered.

"All right this is how it's going to work." Richard said, ending the conversation. "The four of you will follow Bram and Ilana over to the well. I will go down into the Orchid station and turn the wheel. After the flash you must all stay exactly where you are. Do not move from the spot you end up in until I rejoin you. Is that clear?"

The four nodded their heads.

"You may see things or hear things that would cause you to want to move or help," Richard continued. "But you must stay where you are. Bram and Ilana will keep you safe from harm, please do whatever they say until I return."

With that Richard entered the Orchid and the rest of the group moved toward the well. Jin placed his arm around Sun's shoulders, knowing she was worried about what was to come.

"We'll get through this." He whispered in her ear.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I love you," she whispered back.

Upon reaching the well, they did the only thing they could do…they waited.

* * *

1977

Sayid tightened his grip around Ben's neck and pushed the steel tip of the gun forcefully into his temple.

"You just won't die, will you?" He spat at Ben, and then proceeded to shove him to his knees. Placing the gun against the back of his neck, he prepared to shoot him.

"Any last words?" Sayid asked.

"Sayid wait!" Juliet protested as she struggled to stand up. "What…" She paused, not knowing what exactly was happening. "How did you get here, and what are you doing? We thought you were dead."

"Oh I'm very much alive Juliet." Sayid responded. "And I'm here to fulfill my purpose once and for all."

"What purpose is that?" She asked.

"To kill Benjamin Linus."

Ben just shook his head and laughed, which only seemed to enrage Sayid further. He pulled the trigger, which caused Ben to jump, but the gun jammed.

Ben laughed again. "You can't kill me." He said. "Any more than I can kill you. We're past all that now. Only the island can control who lives or who dies."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sayid asked, faltering slightly now that the gun posed no threat.

Ben stood up; gun still in hand "It simply means it's not up to you anymore." He said, looking from Sayid to Juliet.

But Juliet wasn't looking at him, instead he watched as a huge smile spread over her face.

* * *

Sawyer, Jack and Kate had circled through the trees and were getting ready to ambush Ben from behind when Sayid appeared out of nowhere. The three watched as he forced Ben to his knees and prepared to shoot him. Kate shot forward, with intentions of stopping him but Jack held her back.

"Just wait." He whispered. "Let's see what happens."

"We can't just let him shoot him." She protested.

Jack just stared at her for a second. "Why not?" he asked clearly confused.

Kate started to speak but realized she didn't have an answer to that question, so she just shook her head.

They all crouched down and watched as Sayid attempted to shoot Ben and were stunned when the gun jammed. As Ben started laughing, Sawyer had seen enough.

"That's it." He growled. "Time to move in."

Despite their hushed protests he moved forward. He crept as quietly as he could but a twig snapping on the ground under his foot grabbed Juliet's attention—Ben and Sayid however, continued arguing. He wanted to warn her to keep quiet but he couldn't help but smile at her. He'd seen her just that morning, but after the harrowing day they'd all had, it felt like it had been much longer than that. Sensing Kate and Jack were behind him he stepped out into the clearing and listened to the sweet sound of Juliet's voice as she whispered his name.

* * *

2007

The group didn't have to wait long. Only moments after reaching the well, it started. The ground began to shake and a noise, quiet at first, slowly began to grow louder. It pierced their skulls, causing everyone to cover their ears. The light overtook them all at once. Blinding white. And then they were falling…

* * *

1977

"James" Juliet whispered, half thinking he was a figment of her imagination, but as Jack and Kate walked up behind him, relief flooded through her. She didn't realize how hard it had been to keep things together until she caught site of them.

Hearing Juliet's whisper Ben turned and watched as the trio entered the clearing. Sawyer immediately moved forward towards Juliet, but before he could reach her, Ben's cold, calculating voice stopped him.

"Well hello James." He said. "Made it here quick didn't you." Jack and Kate aimed their guns at Ben, causing him to quickly surrender his by placing it on the ground.

"Had some help gettin' here." Sawyer spat as he continued towards her. "A little bug eyed kid couldn't wait to tell me where to find you." He said, nodding towards Juliet. She nodded back, signaling all was okay.

"I know." He said, shaking his head. "I always did have a thing for you." He said turning to look at Juliet, watching as Sawyer strategically placed himself between him and her. "I would have done anything to help you, so long as it made you like me. But you never really did like me, did you Juliet." He asked, rhetorically.

"You…you remember?" Juliet asked, reaching forward to grab the hand that Sawyer had placed behind his back. She knew in her mind it was possible, but the implications of his memories of knowing her as a child put a whole new perspective on the sequence of her life on the island.

"Of course I remember Juliet." He said. "Why do you think I went to so much trouble to bring you here?" He asked, pausing dramatically. "To keep you here." He added.

She shuddered and automatically took a step toward Sawyer, thinking about the conversation they'd had in a different place and time where that statement had been followed by 'you're mine'.

"I lost you once." He reminisced. "And it took me years to find you again. So this time around I had to make sure that I didn't lose you again."

"What do you mean you had to make sure?" Jack asked, not really understanding what Ben was talking about.

"Why do you think I moved the island?" Ben asked. "You all know now that it was Locke who was supposed to move it. But I did instead." He paused. "It was the only way to get you back here—to change the timeline."

"Change the timeline?" Kate questioned.

"Last time I watched you all die." Ben stated simply. The five looked at him like he was crazy.

"This is ridiculous. I don't want to hear anymore." Sayid said.

Sawyer, Kate and Jack looked at Sayid, truly noticing him for the first time.

"Sayid?" Jack questioned, much like Juliet had only moments ago. "How did you…" But Jack never finished; instead they were overtaken by a deafening noise and a bright white light…

* * *

As quickly as it began it was over. Juliet slowly uncovered her eyes and looked around. Everyone else was in a similar state, with either their eyes or their ears covered. She did a mental head count to make sure that everyone was still there. She moved from one to the next—James, Jack, Kate, Ben, Sayid, Locke. She blinked and he smiled. Locke?

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**A Different Place and Time – Ch. 11**

Authors Note: Phew. This was a tough one. Sorry about my little hiatus…started a new job and have just been overwhelmed with the adjustment; but I'm three weeks in now and things have calmed down enough to get the next chapter on paper. As an added treat though…when you reach the end you'll see that I'm al liar…it hasn't ended yet! In writing this I realized that there was just too much to fit into one chapter so there will be another after this. Unfortunately that means that this is more of a filler chapter than anything else, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review thus far…I appreciate all of your kind words!! Okay enough author babble…on with the story!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret  
'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

1977

It was quiet…too quiet. Sun still had her hands pressed tightly over her ears and her eyes were squeezed shut, but somehow she knew it was over. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that it was night. They were still in the same spot they'd been in before the flash, but where the well used to be, now lay a huge hole.

She glanced down and saw Jin still lying on the ground with his ears covered. She bent down and shook his arm.

"Jin," she whispered. "Where are we?"

Jin stood up and looked around. He knew they were in a different time, but he honestly had no idea. The others were slowly getting up, Hurley and Miles made their way over to Jin and Sun, while carefully eying Ilana and Bram.

"Like, what do we do now?" Hurley whispered.

"We wait like Richard told us too." Responded Sun.

"_Son of a Bitch!"_

The group quickly turned towards the exclamation that rang through the otherwise quiet jungle.

"Sawyer?" Jin questioned aloud as he started to move towards his friend.

"Wait, don't go!" Sun exclaimed as she reached out, attempting to grab him.

Jin slipped through Sun's fingertips but he didn't make it far. Ilana and Bram, with guns cocked, stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"He could be in trouble." Jin argued.

Ilana simply shook her head. "Richard told us to wait so we'll wait. No matter what." She responded.

Defeated Jin turned back towards his friends.

"Does this mean we're back in 1977?" Miles asked.

Jin shook his head. "We could be anywhere." He responded.

The group worried about their friends and waited anxiously for Richard to return.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Sawyer exclaimed upon opening his eyes and seeing John Locke standing before him.

Locke simply smiled and watched as Sawyer walked toward him.

"Ha!" Sawyer shouted as he smiled at everyone and slapped Locke on the back. "I knew you'd come back!"

Juliet watched the exchange with trepidation. She'd looked into Locke's eyes and she didn't recognize what she saw. Out of all the survivors who had come to the island, John Locke had intrigued her most; and not just because he could walk when his file clearly stated he was paralyzed from the waist down—it was more than that. But the Locke in front of her, he was not the same man who had fallen down the well three years prior, and she didn't want James anywhere near him. Before she could call him back to her, Ben interrupted.

"So are you going to make me kill them like you made me kill Jacob?"

The fact that he asked so nonchalantly was even more startling than the statement itself. Five pairs of eyes slowly moved from Locke to Ben and back to Locke again.

'Killed Jacob?' Juliet thought to herself. 'Is that even possible?'

Sawyer, confused about what had just transpired, slowly backpedaled until he was standing firmly between Juliet and Ben and Locke. 'Locke made Ben kill Jacob?' He wondered. That was definitely not why he had stayed on this island for three years, never giving up hope. Locke was supposed to come back to save them, not kill them.

Sayid had also made his way over and stood at Sawyer's side along with Jack and Kate. Without understanding how, they all suddenly knew that this was the beginning of the end. It was this moment that would determine whether they lived or died; whether they made it back to where they belonged or were left to forever exist in a time that was not their own.

Locke's gaze wandered between the group before him and the broken man beside him. He chuckled thinking that they had no idea what was about to happen.

"You didn't kill Jacob." Locke finally stated, breaking the elongated silence. "If he was dead do you think we would all be here right now? This island can't exist without him and neither can we."

"What does that mean?" Ben asked, clearly not understanding how the tables had turned so quickly. "Why did you make me stab him then?"

Locke laughed. "I didn't make you do anything Ben." He replied. "You did that all on your own. But what you did do was bring us back here so that we could finish things once and for all; and for that I thank you."

Ben shook his head muttering, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"This was what was always supposed to happen," Locke countered. "There cannot be light without dark, and there cannot be dark without light, but only fools believe that the light and the dark can co-exist. In truth, it is the constant struggle that keeps them both alive. But today," he paused as he looked at each of them, "today that struggle will end, and one will prevail over the other, once and for all."

"What is he talking about?" Kate whispered.

"You will know soon enough," Locke responded, causing Kate to stiffen—she didn't think she'd spoken loud enough for him to hear.

"But for now," he continued, "We wait."

Juliet glanced over at Ben and noticed that he looked just as confused as she felt. Whatever was going on, this was the culmination, but she was certain then that they were all mere pawns in a larger scheme, had been from the beginning. 'Even Ben' she mused as she watched him try to grasp what Locke had just said. While it had always been Ben that manipulated others, it seems that instead now he was the one being manipulated. She could see that he wasn't too happy to realize this.

She thought about what Ben had said about watching them all die. What did he mean by that? And what could possibly be different now? She remembered how Daniel had said when they first started traveling through time that you couldn't change the past; but then he'd changed his mind. 'People are the variables' he had later said. The survivors on the island, they had the power to change their destiny. But there were still constants and variables. Ben was a constant, only because he had been there before and had watched things play out differently. She supposed Jacob had to be one as well, but the rest of them…who was a constant and who was a variable? They had the power to change things Daniel had said, but she HAD changed things. Ben dragged her all the way up here for this moment—not anyone else—her. Did that mean that it was again up to her to set things right?

She had been the one to set the bomb off, she had done the noble thing and had let go of James' hand in order to save him; to save them. Could she do it again? She suddenly felt eyes on her and looked up into his depthless blue stare. He smiled the smile he reserved just for her and she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, hold on tight and never let go. She felt a small fluttering in her stomach and smiled despite the fear and sadness that was slowly taking over. They could have this child together; they could have a life together, but at what price? Would she risk letting everyone and everything around her be destroyed in order to preserve her happiness?

She watched as Locke took a seat on one of the rocks in the clearing. While they were still on edge, she knew they weren't in any immediate danger; whatever was coming hadn't gotten there yet. Realizing the same thing as she, Sawyer closed the distance between them. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders he pulled her close and placed his other hand carefully on her stomach. He continued to stare into her eyes and her heart lurched; she couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks. She didn't know how he knew, but now that he did, she wished she had told him herself. It seemed so trivial-- now that they could die at any moment. To think that she might never fully share her joy over this child with him caused the tears to continue.

"I…" she tried to explain but he shook his head, cutting her off. He buried his head in her hair and held her close.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear. After a moment he stepped back, placed a kiss lightly on her lips, wiped the tears from her cheeks then turned and resumed his stance between her and Locke.

Noticing that other eyes were on her, Juliet quickly pulled herself together. She would not dwell on what might or might not be. She instead would focus on what she had to do to protect them all. She was the variable, and she'd do whatever it took to get her friends back to where they belonged. It was her destiny.

* * *

After Sawyer's exclamation almost 10 minutes earlier, they hadn't heard anything else. Jin, Sun and Hurley had taken residence up on a fallen tree nearby, but Miles was pacing.

Ilana watched them as she kept her post between them and their friends. She secretly wished Richard would return, she knew that this was the moment they'd been waiting for and wanted nothing more than to end this battle once and for all.

Thankfully they didn't have to wait long. Not five minutes later, Richard appeared at the edge of the clearing; the group quickly gathered around them.

Looking at Bram and Ilana, Richard said, "We must go. He will be here soon."

They nodded and started off in the direction of Sawyer's shout.

"What are we supposed to do?" Miles asked, clearly agitated by the whole situation.

Richard placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me Miles," he said. "You'll just know."

The four survivors, the two warriors and their leader marched silently into the jungle.

* * *

The seconds seemed like minutes and the minutes dragged on like hours, the waiting was making it difficult to stay alert. Sawyer, Jack, Sayid and Kate remained standing, but Juliet had reclaimed her spot on the rock. She wanted to be strong when it came time to fight, and she knew if she didn't rest her leg, she wouldn't be of any use to anybody.

A rustling of the trees behind her had everyone suddenly on guard. Juliet rose as quickly as she possibly could and Jack, Sayid and Sawyer stepped in front of her and Kate, ready for whatever was coming.

"Dudes?"

Everyone was completely surprised but overjoyed to see one of their friends emerge from the jungle.

"Hugo!" Sawyer exclaimed. Then, "Miles! Jin! Sun!" As the group continued to file out hugs were exchanged; the survivors grateful to see more familiar faces.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jack then asked.

"They came with us," Bram responded as he and Ilana emerged.

"Who the hell are you?" Sawyer questioned.

"We're here to fight," Ilana responded. "To help."

Sawyer eyed her and Bram suspiciously. Noticing, Miles pacified him.

"Trust me man," he said. "We need all the help we can get."

Sawyer eyed them once more, nodded and turned back towards the rest of the group.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

They all knew that they were there to fight, but this interminable waiting was becoming too much.

"We need to come up with a plan." Kate responded.

"What kind of plan?" Jack asked. "We have no idea what is going to happen."

"Those creepy dudes said that we don't have to worry about it." Hurley chimed in. "That when the time comes, we'd just like know."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sawyer asked.

But before anyone could answer they were interrupted.

"It's time." Locke spoke as he and Ben stood.

For the first time the newcomers noticed the two men at the other end of the clearing, sitting in the shadows.

"He's not who he says he is!" Sun suddenly shouted.

Bram and Ilana took a step forward but Locke just laughed.

The wind suddenly picked up and the air around them became thick and heavy. The stars that dotted the sky seemed to fade, even though there wasn't a single cloud above them. The fire threw shadows around the small clearing, dancing as the wind blew through the leaves on the trees.

Locke continued to smile as he looked beyond the group in front of him. On edge and not sure what to do, they simply braced themselves for what was to come.

"Hello brother."

The voice was familiar yet unfamiliar to many of them. Turning quickly they watched as two men entered the clearing. Richard followed closely behind a tall man dressed in all white with sandy blonde hair. Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Jin, Sun and Sawyer all felt suddenly…different. For reasons unexplained they felt as if they were being pulled towards him, the force was something they couldn't control. None of them moved an inch, but suddenly they felt a fierce hostility towards Locke. They all turned and formed a wall between him and the stranger, protecting him without even knowing why.

"Hello Jacob." Locke responded, as he continued to smile.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

A Different Place and Time – Ch. 12

Authors Note: The beginning of the end. As for the HUGE gap in time from the last post to this one…my profound apologies…life got in the way a little bit (which isn't the best excuse but I hope you'll all forgive me)…but I couldn't not get this finished before the start of season 6. So without further adieu…

and PS: there was simply too much to fit into the end of this story (which I only realized as I continued to write)…so this is NOT the last chapter!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm

Walking towards you, and I

Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone

I'm always running from something

Now I'm running towards you

It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do

I'll be biding my time, and I'll be

Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to

Be starting something here that I might live to regret

'Cause I have learnt my lesson

And I have learnt it well

There are some things in this life best left for time to tell

I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands

I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place

I could see myself with you

And in a different time and a different place

I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

Juliet had no idea who this man was, but she knew that the moment had finally arrived; this was what she had been waiting for. She took her place in front of the group, ready for what was to come.

"Hug me brother, it has been too long," Locke said as he smiled at Jacob and held out his arms.

Jacob did not step forward, instead scanned the area, taking notice of everyone present. Upon reaching Juliet he gave her the once over, then continued his scan. Juliet shuddered. She could feel the utter disdain radiating from Jacob's eyes in that long glance. She knew he was not happy she was there. In that moment she knew everything she had ever thought about him, had ever been told about him was wrong—very wrong.

Finishing his scan Jacob's eyes ended up back on Locke. "Is this it?" He asked. "Is this your war?"

Locke's smile never faltered. "No," he responded. "It's yours."

Jacob shook his head.

"You started this," Locke continued. "Bringing these people here like you did with so many others; playing with their lives. And then you make them believe that you are the righteous one, you are the savior—the one who can set them free, who can help them change their destiny."

His gaze left Jacob and fell upon those present, one at a time. "He'll have you believe that I am the bad one, that I am the dark and that he is the light, but you are sadly mistaken my friends." He paused. "It is he who has toyed with your livelihood; it is he who makes you feel as if you can never leave this place—and if you do, that you have to return." He turned back towards Jacob. "It is a pitiful man who will manipulate others for enjoyment."

Jacob smiled but said nothing.

The silence stretched on, no one moved, no one breathed.

"Dude that guy kinda looks familiar." Hurley whispered to Sayid who was standing next to him. Sayid slightly shook his head, hoping it would put an end to the conversation, but Jacob had heard.

"You're right Hugo, I do look familiar." He scanned the group. "I should look familiar to many of you."

He looked back to Hurley, "Don't you remember the stranger who you shared a cab with before getting on the plane, the one who gave you the guitar?" Hurley silently nodded his head.

Jacob looked at Jack, "The man who handed you the candy bar that had been trapped in the vending machine at the hospital." It took Jack a minute but he remembered the frustration he had felt over his father and how a complete stranger had handed him a candy bar—the small detail that had frustrated him even further.

He looked at Sun and Jin, "The out of place stranger at your wedding." They shared a glance, remembering the exchange they had had after Jacob had congratulated them.

He looked at Sayid, "The man who asked for directions as your wife was being murdered." Anger flashed over Sayid's eyes, remembering that he had been distracted when Nadia had been killed—if only he had been crossing the street with her, it could have been him instead.

He looked at Kate, "The kind stranger who paid for the lunch box you tried to steal as a child." Kate thought of Danny, and their plan to swipe the lunch box. She'd promised that nice man she'd never steal again—unfortunately she hadn't kept that promise.

He looked at Sawyer, "The man who gave you the pen at your parent's funeral, the one that helped you finish your letter to Mr. Sawyer." Sawyer felt the eyes on him, it wasn't common knowledge that his parents were dead, but he remembered the man who'd given him the pen—who had prompted him to finish that letter.

He looked back to Locke, "The man who brought you back to life after your father pushed you out the window and killed you."

Everyone looked at Locke.

"He was dead." Jacob said. "I brought him back to life because I knew he was supposed to do great things." He paused, eyes resting on Locke. "If I had known it would come down to this I would have left you."

Juliet could see what Jacob was doing. Jacob's brother had somehow become a part of Locke, the two were easily more powerful, but a broken Locke could greatly diminish their threat. Locke's weakness was the feeling of inferiority, and Jacob knew this. In order for them to win Locke had to remain strong.

"Don't you think it's a little late for mind games Jacob?" Juliet asked suddenly.

Jacob sneered at her but she didn't see, instead she turned to look at Locke, she nodded and smiled and was happy to see the gleam return to his eyes.

After another moment of silence Jacob stepped forward, agitated but not defeated. "Enough is enough," he said. "You were all brought to this island to be given a second chance at life. What you did with that second chance however," he paused as he glanced from one to the next, "was up to you."

The wind suddenly kicked up and they all heard the familiar growling and clinking noises that only meant one thing.

Jacob held his hands out wide and tipped his head towards the sky, embracing the wind and the trees and the sky. He closed his eyes and smiled before whispering, "Judgment day has arrived at last."

* * *

1977

Sawyer walked in the house completely drenched. Shortly after lunch the skies had opened up, the rain so hard you could barely see the buildings across the quad. Radzinsky had gotten caught in a washout on his way back from the Swan site, and with Sawyer and Miles on patrol, and the closest to him, it had been left up to them to go get him out.

Thirty minutes after arriving, the two men had finally gotten the van hooked up to the jeep. Miles returned to the jeep and was stomping on the gas to get some forward momentum while Radzinsky steered the van and Sawyer pushed it from behind. Up to his knees in mud he finally got the van moving again. Soaked to the bone he hopped back in the jeep and they headed home.

It was nearly dark by the time he arrived, and all he wanted was a hot shower and a cold beer. He shut the door behind him and started to make his way down the hall.

"BOOTS!"

Sawyer flinched. How it was this woman could convey so much power in one little word he didn't know. But he didn't even bother to fight it anymore. He walked back to the front door and toed off his boots on the mat. Following suit he decided to shed his muddy clothes¸ which he also left in a pile by the door. He silently snickered as he padded down the hall towards the bathroom.

He passed the living room, clad only in his boxers, and stopped when he saw her sitting in _his_ armchair, reading _his_ book. She glanced up from the book, noticing his attire, or lack thereof and slowly raised one eyebrow. He just shook his head and kept walking; his soaking wet hair leaving a trail of water droplets behind him.

After a long, hot shower, he dressed and made his way towards the fridge. He noticed a steaming bowl of soup on the table, and silently thanked Juliet for making it. Without even grabbing a beer, he sat down and started to eat. A few bites later she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. She grabbed two beers, set one down next to him, and pulled out a chair at the table.

"Rough day?" she asked rhetorically.

He merely grunted and continued to eat spoonfuls of soup. He didn't think he'd ever tasted soup so good.

She sat there silently, merely keeping him company. He loved the fact that they could just sit and be; the women he'd dealt with in the past always needed to fill the time with…something. It was a pity how used to mindless chatter he was. Her silences were a welcome change, but ironically they made him want to talk more often than not. To this day he still didn't know how she always managed to get him to talk when he didn't have anything to say.

"Son of a bitch Radzinsky," he finally muttered.

She didn't utter a sound, but he could see her shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle a laugh around her sip of beer. He couldn't even be mad. The man was so ridiculous, you couldn't help but laugh.

Before he could give her a hard time however, there was a bright flash of light and a loud crack of thunder. Suddenly they were cast into darkness.

The wind picked up and the tune of the rolling thunder suddenly changed…to a sound that was very familiar.

Sawyer froze. Things had been so content since traveling back to the 70's, he'd forgotten about the dangers of the island.

As suddenly as the noise was there however, it was gone.

Still frozen in place, the lights suddenly flashed back on. Sawyer and Juliet turned towards one another, both knowing what the other was thinking.

"Was that…" Sawyer began.

"I think it was just thunder," she responded.

"But it sounded like…" he continued.

"Yeah it did," she finished.

They sat in silence a moment longer then Sawyer abruptly stood. He put his dishes in the sink and carried his beer into the living room. Juliet followed.

She sat down on the couch and he lay with his head in her lap. She ran her hands through his damp hair and he closed his eyes and sighed.

After a bit of silence, "so what exactly is that thing anyway?"

She ran her fingers over the stubble on his cheeks as she contemplated her answer. "Well, I'm not exactly sure." She started. "When I first got to the island Ben described it as a security system. But personally I think it is more than that."

"What do you mean more?" he asked.

"There's a place on the island," she began. "The Others called it the temple. It was sort of a sanctuary for us."

He turned on his side and buried his face in her stomach. She continued running her fingers through his hair.

"The temple also happens to be where it lives." He lifted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"A lot of the buildings on the island were built by the Dharma Initiative, but the Temple, had been built a long time before."

"How long," he mumbled into her warmth.

"Remember that huge statue we saw during our time traveling?" she asked. He nodded his head. "It's probably as old as that. On the walls were hieroglyphics depicting a smoky being. From what we can gather, it seemed as if the original inhabitants saw it as a higher power, one that had the ability to judge people."

Sawyer sat up. "What do you mean judge people?"

"I don't really know," Juliet answered honestly. "Ben believed that when one comes face to face with the being, that they are judged on the decisions they made throughout their life—if they did not live a good life well then…"

"Wow," Sawyer finished.

Later when they were lying in bed, Sawyer rolled over, wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed her shoulder.

"You know I'm kind of glad old smokey didn't come for a visit tonight because we'd be screwed."

Juliet turned and gave him a questioning glance.

"We're living in sin sunshine," he smiled. "Don't think smokey would appreciate that too much."

She laughed and snuggled deeper under the covers and closer to his warmth.

Sawyer kissed her shoulder once more and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

* * *

2007

A panic quickly broke out. Everyone started running every which way. Juliet tried her best to keep up, but her leg was slowing her down. Sawyer grabbed her hand and tried to pull her along.

A large chill suddenly ran up the back of her neck, she tried to turn but Sawyer had a tight grip on her hand.

"JULIET COME ON!" He screamed above the roaring wind and the deafening noise of the monster.

She stopped, she knew this was her time. She shook her head and tried to pull her hand free.

"NO!" he yelled. "NOT THIS TIME!"

She knew what he was feeling but this time it was different. This was what she was supposed to do.

"James," she said calmly as she stared into his eyes. "I'll be okay."

He shook his head, still refusing to let go.

"I promise," she pleaded and pulled him in for a hug "I'll be okay".

He breathed in her scent, knowing that this was it, this was the moment that would change the rest of their lives.

"I love you" she whispered in his ear. "We love you."

"I won't let go." He responded, still holding on.

Just then, a black cloud of smoke reared up behind her, lightening flashing within, and emanating a noise so deafening, nothing else could be heard.

"GO!" she mouthed as she pulled her hand from his and pushed him away. He stumbled backwards, and found the rest of the group standing close by.

She turned towards the monster, spread her arms wide and closed her eyes.

This was it.

* * *

TBC

Next update MUCH sooner this time. I PROMISE!tgr


	13. Chapter 13

A Different Place and Time – Ch. 13

* * *

Authors Note: Sorry for the ridiculous cliffhanger last chapter! Please forgive me!

* * *

"We're all walking a fine line and I'm  
Walking towards you, and I  
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone  
I'm always running from something  
Now I'm running towards you  
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do  
I'll be biding my time, and I'll be  
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to  
Be starting something here that I might live to regret

'Cause I have learnt my lesson  
And I have learnt it well  
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell  
I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands  
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance

In a different time, in a different place  
I could see myself with you  
And in a different time and a different place  
I believe you could see yourself there too"

Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham

* * *

The flashing light was blinding and the wind roared all around. She'd never been so scared in her life. Even as her fingers had slipped from his in that different place and time, she hadn't been this scared.

The wind continued all around her but suddenly, all was quiet. Out of the black smoke a shadow began to emerge. It was a younger version of herself. She watched as tears streamed down the child's face and suddenly she remembered that moment. A nine-year-old girl, cursing her parents for their ensuing divorce, vowing to never fall in love herself - because she believed nothing else could ever be as painful. Juliet half laughed to herself, surmising that her experiences after that moment only proved she should have held to her vow, and she was instantly saddened, wishing she'd been able to prove herself wrong.

Suddenly, the child was gone and was replaced by an image of her 20 something self. She was in her first year of residency. She'd been a resident for exactly two weeks, was on her emergency rotation, when the double gunshot wound had come rushing through the ER doors. Downtown Miami was a mecca for those training in the medical field. Gunshots were a fact of life and the two bodies that came through those doors, while in desperate need of medical attention, were clinically 'routine'. She remembered the woman, mid 30's, 25 weeks pregnant, had a collapsed lung. Juliet had made an incision for the chest tube - inserted it with ease. Next, she went to work on the bullet. It had entered through the victim's shoulder, but instead of passing through to the other side, became lodged in the body, and was threatening to enter her chest cavity.

Juliet proceeded to open the victim up to remove the bullet but something…happened. The bullet suddenly shifted, entered the patient's heart cavity and instantly killed her. The fetal heart monitor told her baby was still alive, but quickly losing oxygen. They performed an emergency c-section, and got the baby out alive, but he had been deprived of oxygen for too long, and was permanently brain damaged. Two days later he died. The remorse that filled Juliet as she watched her younger self crying silently as the small boy was wheeled out of the room. His life hadn't even begun yet and because of her, it was over.

While it seemed to be in slow motion, moments and events from Juliet's past kept appearing before her. Stealing medicine from the lab to help Rachel become pregnant. Ed being hit by the bus, her island indiscretion with Goodwin, all of the pregnant women dying, infecting Claire, killing Danny, tricking the Oceanic survivors, blowing up a hydrogen bomb – she realized then that she was being judged. Just as others had been judged – and ultimately killed for not measuring up to island standards.

In her heart she wanted to believe that she was a good enough person to survive her judgment, but part of her knew that she had made some bad choices – and ultimately – those choices made her a bad person.

She turned her head away from the images then. If this was her life flashing before her eyes, she didn't want the last thing she saw to be terrible reminders of the person that she was. She first looked at Jacob, who was smiling. This, she knew, meant that he knew he was winning. She was the only one who could stop him from finally gaining control of the island, and as each second passed, she was slipping further into the grasp of the smoke monster. Next she looked at Ben. And his look, was oddly of hope. She saw fear and recognition as well, and this told her that he may have found himself in this situation once – and the fact that he was still living suddenly gave her hope too.

Her gaze then passed over her friends. They looked on with horror as one image after the other portrayed all of the awful things she'd done in her life. She was angry that this would be what they ultimately remembered of her – that is if they even made it through the ordeal. Lastly she let her gaze fall on James. Tears streamed down her face and she pleaded with her eyes for help. She didn't know what else to do and she didn't want this to be the last time they laid eyes on each other.

Suddenly, the deafening roar of wind returned and the images faded from before her eyes. She knew her judgment had been passed. With one last glance towards the man she loved most, she braced herself for the blow ahead. Instead of closing her eyes she stepped forward with arms wide and her gaze steady.

But instead of being enveloped in smoke, something strange happened. First it was an image of a younger Jin. Shame in his eyes as he walked away from the small fishing village where he grew up. Next, it was Hurley, sitting on the couch eating piece after piece of fried chicken. Kate riding away from that small country house, and the explosion that ensued. A little boy hiding under the bed, listening as his father shot his mother, then committed suicide – then Sawyer, the man that boy became, as he conned lonely women out of their life savings. Sun, lying in the arms of another man while Jin was at home washing blood off his hands. Sayid as an Iraqi soldier, torturing innocents for information that they didn't have to give. Miles exploiting grieving family members as he used his gift to steal from the dead.

One after another, the images appeared, so quickly that it was becoming impossible to distinguish one from another. Juliet turned and her eyes widened as she witnessed the site before her. Her friends, along with those who had traveled to the island to help them, with hands linked, were slowly walking towards her – putting themselves on the table for judgment in very much the same way as she had just been sacrificed.

The smoke monster began to revolt, the growling and ticking a deafening noise as the smoke and images swirled around them.

Her saviors reached the spot where she stood, James and Ilana broke the line only for an instant, and each grabbed one of her outstretched hands. She could feel their strength coursing through her. Each step they took built more momentum. The smoke monster started to recede, with each step forward, the swirling smoke receded and the blurry images faded.

Jacob, utterly confused yelled out. "KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" Juliet turned and could see the fear in his eyes. They were fighting back – something he hadn't expected.

Ben, who had been standing next to Locke, suddenly pushed forward, running straight towards Jacob. He pushed the man as hard as he possibly could. Jacob, who was caught off guard stumbled, and ended up between the survivors and the smoke monster.

"LET GO!" Juliet suddenly yelled out. The line broke and they all ran for the trees.

Once a safe distance away, they watched as Jacob struggled to break free from the smoke monsters hold.

The images that flashed before him were fascinating – they spanned centuries of time, but the survivors still saw familiar faces. Two young men battling for power. One bestows a young Richard as protector of the island, the other curses him with immortality; a sentence he'll serve for eternity. One brings peace to their small but strong community, the other continually brings strangers to their land, forcing the need for war and heightened security. The black rock, Yemi's plane, Danielle and the other members of her crew, Desmond, the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. All of these events had been orchestrated by Jacob to create chaos, when all his brother wanted was to bring peace to their land.

The battle between brothers, and between good and evil could be seen in each of the images that flashed before Jacob. Through it all he struggled to escape, his power fighting mercilessly against that of the smoke monster. Suddenly, the judgment was complete, but the break in concentration allowed Jacob the opportunity to break free. He started to run, but was quickly pinned down. Locke came at him from behind, and held him in place, the smoke swirling around the brothers and carrying out the sentence.

Juliet covered her ears, the screams more than she could bear. She fell to her knees, the force of the wind too strong – then a sudden white, blinding light exploded from within the monster. And then – nothing.

* * *

Epilogue:

September 23, 2004

She woke suddenly and thrashed viciously at the weight upon her body, but as she came fully awake, she realized it was merely the blankets that were holding her down. She slowly took in her surroundings, the bedroom familiar, yet different.

She tried to remember what would make her feel so different – she remembered going to work yesterday, stopping on the way home to hang out with Rachel and Julian, all normal daily occurrences. When she got home she made something to eat and enjoyed a glass of wine '_Maybe the wine was bad,'_ she thought as she padded out of the bedroom trying to get rid of the fuzzy feeling in her head.

She walked into the kitchen, suddenly ravenous, and searched for some cereal and milk. She sat down at her breakfast bar and turned on the TV. The usual stories plagued the morning news – murders, robberies, all normal for a September day in Miami.

'_What is going on?_' she wondered suddenly. Why did things seem so different when they were so completely normal.

She showered, threw on a flowing summer dress and got ready to go to work. It wasn't until she was stepping out the door that she felt the flutter in her stomach. With that one small movement it all came rushing back. The island, Ben, the smoke monster. James.

"James!" she shouted out loud. Then blushed because her neighbor, who happened to be outside watering her flowers, looked at her like she was crazy.

She ran back in the house to look at the calendar. September 23rd, she read carefully. September 23rd – just one day before Oceanic 815 was destined to crash. '_But would it?'_ She wondered hopefully.

Not caring that it was 5 a.m. on the west coast, she called LAX for the flight information. Flight 815, departing from Sidney Australia was scheduled to land at LAX, 9 a.m. pacific-time on the 24th. She quickly hung up, hopped online and booked the next flight out west. If there was any chance that the plane would land, she had to be there to see him get off.

Once her flight was booked, she called the hospital and told them she'd be gone until Monday. She packed her bag, called a cab, crossed her fingers – and hoped.

* * *

Flight 815

He'd dozed in his seat and was in the middle of a fascinating dream filled with blonde hair and blue eyes, when the sudden drop woke him. A few startled screams surrounded him, and he grabbed the seat handles at the same time as the girl next to him. He smiled at her but the turbulence was getting worse – the fasten seat belt sign came on and a few bags even tumbled out of the overhead compartments.

The plane hit another huge air pocket and the weightlessness took the breath right out of him. Out the window all he could see was ocean – and the screams and cries that surrounded him had him praying for safe landing.

The plane shook violently and it felt like they were going down, but all of the sudden the plane corrected itself and the ride smoothed out considerably.

Moments later the pilot's voice reassured the passengers.

"We're sorry for the scare everyone. We hit a few air pockets, caused by some bad weather due north, but we've gotten through the worst of it and should have smooth sailing from here."

His heart was still racing, but he held on to the hope that the plane would make it home.

Three hours later, Sawyer breathed a huge sigh of relief as the wheels touched down to the ground.

* * *

LAX

She got as close to the gate as she could. She had remained at the airport after landing the night before, knowing that otherwise she wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the gate when they landed. She set up camp in the food court and had checked hourly on the progress of the flight. After over 24 hours of worry, she was ecstatic to hear that it had landed safely. Now that she knew flight 815 made it, the fear suddenly overtook her – would he remember?

She stood on a nearby chair, unable to see amidst the crowded terminal. Suddenly the gates opened and passengers started to flood out. She saw Jack first. He glanced at her briefly but then walked on, absolutely no recognition on his face. The same thing happened with Kate, Jin, Sun, Claire, Sayid and Hurley. As each of her friends walked on, more tears formed and fell. She started realizing that she might have to face the journey ahead alone, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to do it without him – if she could do it without him.

Suddenly, he was there. Scruffy from the flight he walked out of the gate. With his bag over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets, he walked with his head down – like a man who knew right where he was going. She thought for a moment that he'd pass without noticing her; and it was hard not to notice a half-crazed blonde woman standing on a chair in the middle of an airport, clutching her stomach while tears streamed down her face, but just as he was about to pass her he glanced up.

Their eyes connected and, for a brief moment, she thought she saw a spark of something, but as quickly as he had looked at her, he turned away, and kept walking.

"James…" was the strangled cry that left her lips as her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed onto the chair. The sobs were uncontrollable, she couldn't remember when she had ever cried this hard.

Her life with him had begun and ended so quickly. Trapped in time with only each other, they had created a future that was never meant to be. But now she had to live with that future, knowing that he would never be a part of it. It seemed that even when the island had righted itself, she was still left with a life that was all wrong.

She rocked back and forth, arms tight around her body and tried as hard as she could to breathe. But it was too hard – she didn't want to do it anymore. A hand on her shoulder had her looking up – into blue green eyes she'd come to know and love.

He squatted down in front of her, "Hey," he said softly. She shook her head, not believing he was there.

"How did you…?" she tried to ask, but talking seemed too hard when she couldn't even remember how to breathe.

"I heard you say my name, and, I remembered." He explained simply.

She smiled through her tears, and he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, falling back onto the floor in the middle of a sea of strangers.

Now, it was their time.

* * *

Authors Note: Well, that's all she wrote! Thanks for those who stuck with me through my non-updating! I hope you all enjoyed it. Can't wait for season six!


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